To Feel Alive
by AIR XXIVCIVIIIV
Summary: Seigaku and Rikkaidai were on their way to a vacation spot when men in masks suddenly ambushed their bus. Now held in captive, the Regulars from both schools must figure a way out before they die.
1. Capture

The Regulars at Rikkaidai and Seigaku both decided they wanted to spend some time together after Nationals. They decided they wanted to go somewhere with snow since most of them were quite fond of winter sports. Inui and Yanagi both recommended the mountains up north. And everyone agreed. They were to leave early the next day and stay for the next three days.

They planned to take the bus with Coach Ryuzaki as their chaperone and driver. They were glad she was willing to go with them and save the Regulars some money for traveling. Rikkaidai met Seigaku at Seishun Gauken's school gates 7:30 sharp. They wore their school uniforms and carried duffle bags filled with winter gear and most likely their tennis racquet.

Once the bus was loaded with their bags, the Regulars situated themselves in the seats accordingly. Each row seated two people. There were seven rows of two on each side of the bus plus the back seat, fitting all seventeen players perfectly.

They already had their own sitting arrangements in their head even before they stepped on the bus. Yukimura sat with Sanada, Kirihara with Jackal, Niou with Yagyu, Renji with Inui, Marui and Eiji shared very many things in common so they got along together, Oishi sat by Taka, Fuji with Tezuka, and Momo, Ryoma, and Kaido slept on the back seat. Everyone was either excited or sleeping. Ryoma leaned his head against Momo's shoulder and Momo rested his head on Ryoma's as the two of them slept. It was pretty cute.

Sometime along the way, Yukimura kicked Sanada out and grabbed Fuji to sit next to him. Yukimura was fond of Seigaku's No. 2 player. In more ways than one, they were similar. Tezuka sat uncomfortably next to Sanada, engulfing his attention in a book. The two could hear Yukimura and Fuji laughing and talking. It seemed a little strange because until today, the two feminine-like figures never interacted and they looked like they've been best friends since forever.

The skies darkened as heavy rain fell in a heavy downpour. The road was barely visible. Coach Ryuzaki slowed down immensely in order to drive safely. The rain made several of the players sleepy, including Fuji. Yukimura suddenly felt something heavy on his shoulder. He realized that Seigaku's tennis genius fell asleep on him. Yukimura smiled and shifted to a more comfortable position. Fuji unconsciously snuggled his body closer to the taller boy, making the Child of God smile.

"Hey, Tezuka." The captain glanced towards the sound of the voice to face a smiling Yukimura. "This one sure is affectionate."

Tezuka didn't say anything, but nodded. "Aww! Fujiko looks so kawaii!" Eiji exclaimed, admiring his friend. He got a thought and shuffled around the bags until he found Fuji's.

"Eiji, what are you-" But before Oishi could finish the sentence, Eiji found the camera and snapped a photo of his best friend with Rikkaidai's captain.

"They're so cute!"

All was calm for a little bit until Coach Ryuzaki slammed on the brakes. Those who fell asleep quickly slammed their heads on the seat in front of them, except for Fuji who's sleeping form was protected by Yukimura, and Ryoma and Momo who went flying in the aisle.

"What's going on?" Ryoma asked sleepily, rubbing his eye.

Up ahead, two cars parked horizontally, blocking the road, though it was hard to see since the rain hadn't lighten up. Coach Ryuzaki told the teams that she'd check out what the problem was up ahead. The team waited patiently while staying occupied.

Fifteen minutes later, the bus door opened. But it wasn't Seigaku's coach that stepped on. Instead, three tall men in black clothing and masks appeared. A clinking sound could be heard the bus was suddenly filled with a white cloud of gas.

* * *

 _I know I know, don't kill me! But again as I've already said... Kinda obsessed here! Not gonna disappear for a while. Plus, I'm slowly starting to lose my inspiration for my other two stories so... Well, if it's good and you want to read more, lemme know. If not, I don't know, I'll upload a chapter or two, who knows?_


	2. Imprisonment Day I

_Okay guys! Here's Chapter One! It's going to be longer than future chapters (maybe) 'cause of the exposition stuff and what not. Anywho... Tell me if you guys like it or not. This will be shorter than my YYH story (that one was 30 chapters!) This one won't be that long. Imma stop ranting so you guys can read! **REMEMBER** : Prince of tennis is not mine. If it was, Yukimura and Fuji would get all the spotlight ^_^ Well bye. Love and all, AIR_

* * *

Marui's eyes snapped open and tried to remember what had happened. His teammates and Seigaku surrounded him. Up above, there were small light bulbs illuminating the room they were in. It was cold and damp. When he sat up, he could see that they were in a small room made of bricks. Every wall contained small cells able to contain atleast three people.

Rikkaidai and Seigaku were scattered around him. "Buchou!" He ran over to Yukimura's sleeping body and shook his shoulders. "Yukimura!"

The blue-haired boy woke up, immediately sitting up. "Marui, where are we?"

Marui shook his head. "Don't know."

The other players started waking up as well. Fuji was the first to wake up from Seigaku, then Momo. Once all seventeen of them were wide awake, the circled up. They weren't harmed as far as they knew and they still had on their school uniforms.

"So, what's the plan, Buchou?" Kirihara asked. All eyes shifted from Yukimura to Tezuka.

"First, we have to know where we are." Tezuka said.

Suddenly, the heavy metal doors opened. The three masked men that gassed their bus came in. "Awake already?" One said. "Impressive.

The Regulars retreated to the far wall in a defending stance. "Don't look so crossed. We won't hurt you as long as you comply." A second voice spoke. "Now, you get one meal per day so try not to eat it all in one sitting. We don't need your physique to deteriorate before our boss shows up and before we get our money. But before that, you need two people to join us."

"For what?" Sanada griped. He didn't like the idea that one of Rikkai's regulars was to go and be with those three men.

"Well, we can't punish each individual, and I think having one person receiving punishments will be enough to keep you kids behaved, don't you?" The man who stood in front of the other two looked like their leader. The regulars didn't like the sound of his venom-laced voice.

"These two people, you're just using them for blackmail, aren't you?" Oishi placed the pieces to create a picture.

The men smiled, "Well aren't you observant One person per school, since I only see two different uniforms. You have two minutes." The three men left the Regulars alone to decide who their sacrifice would be.

"I'll go." Yukimura volunteered as soon as the door closed. All eyes were on him.

"But, Yuki-"

"I'm team captain. It's my responsibility to take care of you. I'm depending on you to keep everyone safe, Sanada." He quickly cut off Sanada, giving him a small grin.

"If that's the case, then-"

"I'll go, too" Tezuka turned to look at his best friend.

"Fuji?" He asked, wide eyed. The shorter boy showed his sharp blue eyes. Tezuka realized they were filled with fear and determination.

The other Regulars quickly volunteered to be in their place. Yukimura and Fuji were the two most delicate looking players in their group, seeing the two of them hurt made the more sensitive players, like Eiji, want to cry.

"B-but Fuji! They'll kill you! Let me go, please!" Kikumaru cried. Fuji wiped away the tears staining his friend's place.

"Don't worry, Eiji. It'll be okay."

The steel doors opened again and the three masked men appeared. "Did we make a decision?" Yukimura and Fuji stepped up. "Then follow me."

One of the other men pointed a gun towards the remaining Regulars. "In case any of you get some funny ideas."

Rikkaidai and Seigaku watched as the three men took away their captain and their prodigy.

* * *

Yukimura and Fuji were taken into the next room. Their eyes widened as they saw a gallow far against the opposite wall. There were other shelves that held ropes, metal bars, and other items found in hardware stores.

Fuji stopped by instinct. A man came up from behind and pushed him forward. "We're not going to hang you, if that's what you're thinking. No. That punishment is saved until one of your teammate escapes."

Yukimura saw steel bars aligning with the wall, just like in the other room. "The two of you will stay there." Another man led the players to the cell. The bars closed and the men locked the metal door. "Try not to die."

They waited to talk until they heard the sound of heavy doors closing. "What are we going to do now, Fuji?"

"We don't have much of a choice but to follow their rules if we want to live. I'm rather surprised they haven't hurt us yet or the others. I hope they're okay."

"Don't worry, they will be. Tezuka and Sanada are there. Oishi, too. They have more than enough people to take care of them." Yukimura softly smiled at Fuji. He tried to stay positive.

On the other side of the door, the other players were locked up in cells as well in pairs and one group of three. Sanada and Tezuka winded up together. The others knew that the two of them were already thinking of a plan to get Yukimura and Fuji and a way to get out.

The 3rd years of Seigaku understood how much Fuji meant to Tezuka. And everyone in Rikkai could see how much Sanada cared for Yukimura. Everyone was quiet, trying not to do anything wrong fearing to hurt their "sacrifice."

"So," Momo started, "what do we do now?"

Across from him, Oishi gave the younger boy a helpless look. "I don't think we have much of a choice as prisoners."

"I hate this! I hate being held against my will! And we don't know what's going on with Fuji-senpai and Rikkaidai's captain!" The power player leaned against the wall in irritation. He had to share a cell with Rikkai's Marui and Ryoma. He was kind of glad he didn't end up with Kirihara.

"Hey, is it possible if you can shut up?" Kaido hissed. It was bad enough he had to stay with Akaya, now he had to listen to Momo's complaints next door.

Momo's eyes narrowed. "What did you say, Viper?"

"Guys, come on now. Don't fight while we're like this." Oishi tried to settle down the argument from across the room, but it didn't work. Momo and Kaido continued bickering.

"Mmm… They work decently together doubles, but do they not get along outside of the court?" Marui asked. He tried to keep himself distracted. He was in grave need of sweets and didn't know how long he'd last.

Ryoma lowered his head; an imaginary cap covered his eyes. "It happens less often now. I think they're just stressed out."

The bickering silenced when the large steel door opened. "Shut up! I've had it with you kids arguing so loudly I can barely hear myself think."

Sanada, whose cell was the closest to the doors, peered over the men. He couldn't see everything since it was only one of the double doors open. But he could easily see a wooden pillar and shelves containing whips and metal bars. The sight made him want to collapse. No. Rikkaidai and Seigaku cannot make the men angry if they want Yukimura and Fuji to make it out there alive.

The man who spoke walked towards Momo and Kaido's cell. "You two sure are loud. Shall we find out if your friend can scream louder?"

The eyes of the Regulars from Seigaku widened in fear. What were they going to do to Fuji? Momo started protesting as the men moved to the other room and shut the door behind them.

Fuji and Yukimura could hear two people arguing. It was Momo and Kaido, Fuji explained, feeling slight bit embarrassed. A few minutes later the men appeared from their side and opened the door in anger. They were pissed. The two heard everything that was said on the other side.

When one of the men grabbed Fuji, Yukimura couldn't even stop them. They instructed the smaller boy to strip off the top of his uniform outfit. Fuji did so without hesitation. He didn't want to cause any more trouble. One of the men pushed the younger male down to his knees and tied his wrists to the wooden pillar.

Yukimura couldn't watch as each man took turns whipping Fuji. He could hear the grunts and cries of pain and the crack of the whip against bares skin.

In the other room, Sanada and Tezuka could faintly hear a voice. Tezuka dubbed it to be Fuji's and that something bad was happening. It made the Seigaku captain's heart drop. His best friend was being punished for something he didn't even commit.

Fuji lay on his stomach, the side of his head on Yukimura's lap. The men struck him thirty times. Each. Yukimura could see Fuji's eyes half-open in exhaustion and pain. He didn't put the shorter boy's shirt back on, fearing the fabric would hurt him. Rikkai's captain gently stroked his hand through the brown hair, whispering calm things to the boy. Some of the whips managed to break the skin and blood stained the fair skin of the Seigaku Regular. Yukimura wanted nothing more than to have Fuji's teammate there and taking care of him.

"Y- Yukimura…"

The blue-haired boy glanced down to meet Fuji's tired deep blue eyes. "What is it?"

Fuji didn't answer. He merely stared up at Yukimura, breathing heavily. Sooner or later, he closed his eyes and drifted to sleep.


	3. Imprisonment Day II

_Hi guys! So here's chapter two and I hope it's okay? Ch 3 is in the works so expect it soon! Thanks for reading and I hope you like it! Oh btw, I have a question to ask:_

 _Would you guys like to see pairings or just have the characters be really close like bros? I'm still trying to figure out what I want... But if you guys have preference, it'd make my decision waaay better :) Thanks so much! Love and all, AIR_

* * *

Coach Ryuzaki woke up abruptly surrounded by white. She felt rather warm and sick at the same time. What happened? Looking around, she figured out she was at the hospital. How she got there or who took her there was a mystery. She heard voices talking about kids missing and only finding their coach and how everything on the bus was taken.

Everything came back. The vans, the cloth over her nose and mouth, the voices instructing other bodies to "get the rest of them." It scared her. Where were her players and Rikkaidai's?

Footsteps approached her bed and she quickly realized it was the doctors followed by police officers and the missing tennis players' parents. Coach Ryuzaki sat up, getting used to the throbbing pain in her head.

"Sumire Ryuzaki," The doctor started, "the detectives here would like to ask some questions regarding the disappearance of the Seishu Gauken and Rikkadai Fuzoku tennis players."

Ryuzaki glanced from the doctors, to the police officers, then to the tear stained faces of her and Rikkai's players' parents. It was because of her that their sons were missing and in danger. If only she was more careful, then maybe…

* * *

Fuji woke up to the sound of metal scraping against concrete. He watched as one of the men, with their mask still over their face, pushed a tray of food inside the small cell.

He realized that his head lay on Yukimura's lap while the Rikkai captain slept with upright with his back against the wall. When Fuji tried to move, his back burned and stung. He remembered them. The whippings. He remembered each and every one slashing against his skin.

Yukimura shifted and woke up. He noticed the smaller boy in a different and more alert position. "Fuji? How do you feel?"

Fuji pushed himself off the ground to sit across from the captain. "Sore. I think they brought our food in for the day."

Yukimura inspected the tray that held a bowl of broth, two bottles of water, and two slices of stale bread. "For the day? This is supposed to last us until tomorrow? We'll be dead in no time." He split one of the bread in half and handed the bigger half to Fuji. "They tore you up last night, didn't they?"

"I don't mind. Atleast it's not you or anyone else in our team." Fuji instead took the smaller piece and began to eat. The stale bread seemed rather delicious on an empty stomach.

The two boys ate their share in silence. Yukimura wondered how the team was doing. He wondered if they were behaving themselves and not causing any more trouble. He also hoped that the Seigaku regulars wouldn't cause any more trouble. After last night, he didn't want to see Fuji getting whipped again.

Each cell received one tray of food for both or all three people. They tried so hard to ration their food so it would last until nighttime. But that small amount of so-called nutrition was not enough for seventeen active teenagers. No it wasn't. Marui looked like he just underwent a hangover. The boy did not look too great after a day without sweets. And being fed nothing but carbohydrates wasn't enough for Rikkaidai's volley specialist.

The remainder of their food lay against the back wall so it was "out of sight, out of mind." Several players became rather fussy. That included Eiji, Momo, Marui, Niou, and Kirihara. They hated being trapped.

"I hate this!" Kirihara yelled from his cell. "I need to know if Yukimura-buchou's okay or not! When those men come back, I'm killing them all." His eyes suddenly darkened.

Jackal and Yanagi noticed that. "Akaya, do not torment any of them. If you do, they are going to hurt Yukimura." Jackal warned his kouhai.

A few cells to Kirihara's right was where Kawamura and Inui stayed. Taka noticed that some of the bars had a russet like color. Taka grabbed one of the rusty bars and pulled it towards him. The metal bar broke in half. Inui and those on the other side of the room quickly focused their attention on the sound. Japan's number one power player broke one of the bars.

"T-Taka! You broke it!" Inui tried not to sound scared, but he knew if the men found out, which they would, Fuji would be harshly punished.

Everyone from Seigaku who saw what their teammate had done gaped in horror. They also knew the fate of Fuji. Once in a while, one of the men would check on them to make sure they weren't doing anything suspicious. Taka and Inui managed to make the broken bar look unnoticeable. It worked the first time the men checked up on them. However, the second time around, the broken half fell off attraction the attention of their kidnappers. The moment the three men found out, everyone one knew Fuji's life was in grave danger.

"So we plan to run away, huh? I'm surprised you broke it at all." One of the two men in the room said. "That's some bravery you got there."

Taka's face turned fierce. "If you hurt Fuji, you'll receive no mercy from us when we get out!"

Taka and Inui could tell the man they faced was smiling. "Too late."

Tezuka suddenly grabbed the bars and chided, "What did you do to him?" He remembered the small cries that came from the room next door. He could only imagine what they did to his best friend.

"You better not have hurt Yukimura!" Niou added.

The man turned his attention to Rikkai's trickster slowly. "If you don't shut up, we might have to punish the other one, too." He motioned for his friend to move Inui and Taka in another vacant cell.

"This act of escape won't go unpunished." The Seigaku Regulars quickly begged in protest; Tezuka was on verge of attack as well.

Once the men left the room, Tezuka gripped the bars harder. "Fuji, stay strong." His voice was barely audible even Sanada couldn't even hear it. "I'm so sorry."

Yukimura watched as one of the men dragged a weak Fuji out of the cell and forced him to strip his shirt and sit on his knees. What'd the regulars do this time? They neglected to lock the cell as they started whipping Fuji again, reopening some of the gashes on his back. Out of fear for the other boy, Yukimura ran out and stepped in front of the whip, the end of the weapon hitting him across the cheek.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" The man grabbed Yukimura's shirt, lifting him a few feet off the ground and slamming him down next to Fuji. Since Yukimura was still recovering, strength wasn't his specialty.

"I think he wants to be punished as well." The second man said as if he were smirking.

"Is that so?" They instructed Yukimura to take off his shirt as well. Once he did, they instantly took the opportunity to break his skin.

Fuji's eyes widened at the sight of Yukimura getting whipped; his eyes shut to at every contact. "Stop it!" He tackled the man attacking Rikkai's captain down to the ground.

The others were taken aback from the younger boy's actions. "He's got some guts doing that to you." One of the other men pulled Fuji up and tied his writs to the wooden pole. Then they threw Yukimura in the cell and locked him in.

Yukimura watched as one man took out a lighter and held a sewing needle against the flame until orange tinted the silver item.

Fuji yelled in pain as loud as he could immediately after feeling the hot needle on his skin. Yukimura turned his back from the scene and covered his ears; he didn't want to hear Fuji in agony, he didn't want to see Fuji in agony. The men carved an upside down star right above his left shoulder blade.

In the other room, Fuji's scream sliced through the air like a blade. Tezuka's heart dropped. No. They couldn't do this to him, not to Fuji. He wanted desperately to be in his best friend's place. He wanted to receive the punishment Fuji was getting. Sanada studied his rival; tears were forming in his eyes.


	4. Imprisonment Day III

_Hi guys! So here's chapter 3 which turned out pretty long... Anyway, not a lot of dialogue which I'm hoping to change soon 'cause I love writing dialogue! I'm glad you guys are enjoying this story (I hope)._

 _I still need a few more input on whether or not you guys want pairings or no and if you do want pairing, which would you like to see? Remember, it's my choice in the end, your opinion will help make my choice better and faster :) I don't want to disappoint you guys! Thanks so much for reading and I hope you like it! Love and all, AIR_

* * *

Yukimura didn't sleep at all. He treated Fuji's wound with the smaller boy's white shirt and the remaining water in the bottle. The water wasn't ice cold, but it was better than leaving the burn alone. The upside down pentacle was sloppily drawn, like they lost moment halfway through branding. Fuji's eyes were closed, his face still in a painful frown while his breaths were uneven and shallow. Yukimura could only imagine how much he had suffered while they branded him.

During the night, the blue haired boy tried to ease Fuji's pain. They didn't have medication for the pain, just that lukewarm water. Yukimura ran his fingers through Fuji's hair gently while humming a soft tune, trying his best to comfort the injured figure on his lap.

By morning, Yukimura could barely keep his eyes open. The men had delivered their food for the day. He heard another voice outside of the room and the man quickly left, leaving the cell unlocked. The Child of God couldn't believe it! The man accidently left the cell door open!

He lifted Fuji's head off his lap and gently laid it on his blazer. Doing a quick sweep in the room, he cautiously stepped out of the cell. When Yukimura tried to open the steel doors separating them from the rest of the regulars, it wouldn't budge. The door rustled a bit, but that was all it did.

Sanada heard the doors move after the men delivered their food. He knew it wasn't the wind since they were in an enclosed space. And it couldn't be the men since they were already gone. He didn't want to keep his hopes up, but out of instinct, he called, "Yukimura?"

Yukimura heard Sanada's call and responded, "Sanada?

Sanada leaned forward as much as he could. Everyone else focused their attention towards Rikkai's fukubuchou

"Genichirou, is that Seiichi?" Yanagi asked. His cell was three down from Sanada's. But he received no answer. Instead, Sanada continued with his conversation with their captain.

"Yukimura! What's going on? Are you alright?" Everyone could hear the panic and relief in Sanada's voice.

"I'm fine. But- but I don't think I can say the same for Fuji." Tezuka heard that. His body froze in place as he envisioned an injured, weak Fuji. After what the Seigaku regulars have done in the past couple days, he didn't want to know what kind of punishments he endured, especially the one that happened the day before. "Please," Yukimura's voice cut through the images, "tell Seigaku to behave. I hate it when they hurt him. I'm doing my best to comfort him as much as I can, but it won't help if his teammates keep trying to escape or yelling at eachother."

Sanada glanced over his shoulder to meet the eyes of Tezuka. It's as if he was asking if he heard what Yukimura said. Tezuka nodded in understanding.

"Yukimura, what happened to Fuji?" The Seigaku Captain hoped he didn't regret asking that question.

There was a dead silence from the other side before Yukimura answered, "They whipped him yesterday and the first day we got here." He paused for a moment then continued, "And they branded him last night, as well."

Tezuka's heart nearly stopped. The men marked Fuji? So the scream they all heard last night was because the men branded their tensai.

"Sanada, I want you to promise me something." Sanada nodded, and then realized the other couldn't see. He proceeded to telling Yukimura he was listening. "Promise me you'll escape with the team the first chance you get. Don't worry about me. The next opportunity that comes along, Fuji and I are getting out. But the team is your responsibility. I don't know how I'd live with myself if all of Rikkai's regulars died. Promise me Sanada."

He refused, he didn't want to leave without Yukimura and he knew Tezuka wouldn't want to leave Fuji behind. "No." The tone of his voice was cold enough to send even Tezuka running 300 laps. "Yukimura, I'm not leaving you behind! And how do you know they'll be a second chance for you to escape?"

Yukimura chuckled lightly. "We don't. We don't know if we'll get another chance to freedom. That's why I need you to take the team. No doubt those men will kill us when they find the cells empty. But eight lives for one? I'd rather have that then have all of us killed. Sanada, please. Stop thinking about me and think about them."

Even in danger, Yukimura deeply cared for his teammates. Sanada didn't want to promise their captain. He didn't. But he knew in the end, he'd have no choice. "Fine. I promise, Yukimura."

Before their captors checked on them, Yukimura said his good-bye to Sanada and went back to his cell seeing Fuji still asleep. Yukimura gently shook him awake.

"I'm sorry to have woken you up, but you need to eat. You haven't eaten anything since yesterday."

Fuji nodded weakly, trying to sit up with out causing much pain to no avail. The moment he moved from his position, the mark on his shoulder pained feeling like needles digging in his skin. Yukimura noticed this and gently stopped his movements, guiding him to lay down again.

"It's okay. You don't have to get up if it hurts. You're still able to eat that way." Fuji felt the cold rim of the bowl on his lips. He opened his mouth wide enough to drink some of the broth. Even if he was starving, his stomach didn't want anything to digest at the moment. He could only handle to sips.

Yukimura then treated the mark on Fuji's shoulder with the younger player's shirt and water. When the wet fabric touched the red mark, Fuji winced and unconsciously moved away from the other boy. The taller player rested his hand beside Fuji's and the blue-eyed boy wrapped his hand around the one next to his face. His grip tightened as Yukimura continued to clean the blood off his skin.

Everything seemed still for the longest time. Yukimura was exhausted and hungry and worried at the same time. He didn't bother letting go of Fuji's hand, thinking it comforted the smaller player. He leaned against the wall, his feet outstretched in front of him, Fuji to his left. He watched Seigaku's player sleep for a while before passing out himself.

* * *

Coach Ryuzaki tried her best to recall as much as she could. She didn't see any license plates on the vans or the people's faces or any other clue that could aid the police. A search party was already in search for the missing tennis players. In the mean time, Coach Ryuzaki couldn't face them. She couldn't face their families.

She saw Ryoma's family, Fuji's brother and sister, Tezuka's grandfather, Eiji's large family as well as the Rikkaidai player's family members. She couldn't help but feel guilty for letting them down. They had entrusted her to keep their sons safe, but look at what happened. She wished that, wherever they, they'd stay safe and together. They were smart, strong, affectionate boys. With Tezuka and Yukimura and Sanada and Oishi, they'd be somewhat okay. Maybe not fine, but definitely not without a leader.

* * *

The sound of their cell door opening awoke Yukimura. One of the three men came in and yanked him out into the room. Then he was pushed in a narrow hallway beside their cell and past a small door into a small-enclosed space. He glanced at the man questioningly.

In the room were too metal buckets; one was empty and the other was filled to the top with water. Next to the buckets were a small rectangular white bar and a cup filled with white powder.

"The boss says you kids can't look or smell like trash. Try to save some for your friend." He then left Yukimura in the room.

There were no doors in the small area. No curtains, no privacy, nothing. Yukimura sighed as he stripped off his clothes and washed himself using the water sparingly. He figured out that the empty bucket was meant for them to defecate and urinate in. He also figured out that it was baking soda in the small cup. Whoever this "boss" was was making their capture a little more comfortable.

After cleaning himself up and leaving half of the ice cold water for Fuji, Yukimura air dried himself since the men provided no towels (like they were going to provide them with such amenities) and dressed himself in his school uniform again. Once Yukimura finished, the man took Fuji to the same room to clean up as well. Yukimura wanted to go with him since the other boy was still sore and weak from the previous punishments. The other regulars received the same kind of act. They were to clean up every three days so they look as the men's boss states, "sellable."

At midnight, the men came back to collect the trays. They noticed that some still had a good amount of food on them. A few of Rikkai's players like Marui, Kirihara, and Niou refused to eat as a result of being constantly worried about Yukimura.

"We give you something to eat and you still refuse? How rude. I guess your friend will have to pay."

Sanada instantly ordered his teammates to eat in a harsh, drill sergeant like way. The last thing he wanted was for Yukimura to get hurt because of something so simple like Rikkai's players refusing to eat. But it was too late. The men collected the tray, with or without food, and hastily made their way to the adjacent room.

Fuji watched helplessly as one of the men whipped Yukimura senseless.


	5. Imprisonment Day IV

_Hi everyone! So here's chapter 4 which may or may not be as interesting... idk. But THANK YOU guys for reviewing, I'm grateful for each and everyone of them and I've made up my mind that I'll add in a bit of pairings. Now... here comes the challenge: which pairings? As you can probably tell, the story is mostly focusing on Fuji and Yukimura as well as Sanada and Tezuka (though this chapter didn't show very much of it) and a bit of the others in future chapters. But if you would suggest which pairings you'd like, it'd make my choice easier. I know those who reviewed gave their opinion (yayyy! :D) and now just a few more before the story reveals who's w/ who :) Thank you guys again! Love and all, AIR_

* * *

The next day was a hit and miss. Fuji woke up feeling much better. Most of the gashes on his back stopped bleeding and the mark on his shoulder didn't hurt as badly. But Yukimura was the opposite. It was his first taste of punishment. They didn't whip him as much as Fuji, but it still hurt like hell. Most of the whips happened on his upper back; therefore, he was able to clean up most of the blood by himself. Fuji returned the favor by taking care of the rest.

When their captors came in to bring them their food, Fuji and Yukimura found it astonishing that they didn't wear their usual black attire. The faces of the men were revealed to them and they wore clothing usually seen with more business type of men, colored polo with dress pants and black shoes.

The three men looked very identical; they were taller than any of the regulars with either a muscular built or a lean built. They also had dark trimmed hair and the only way of telling the difference is by their eye color. One of them had grey eyes, the other green, and the last brown. Other than that, they were fairly identical.

The one with green eyes smiled at the looks the boys gave them. "Surprised? Can't blame you. It's the first time you brats have seen our faces. Three days without knowing who kidnapped you."

Yukimura's eyes narrowed cautiously. "What do you plan to do with us?" The tone of his voice could cut through the bars and kill the three men standing before him.

The same man spoke, "Guess it won't hurt. Our boss didn't say we couldn't tell you his plan. In fact, we were so lucky we bumped into you guys. We haven't had an operation go as smoothly as this one." A small smile played on the man's lips. "The boss wants money in exchange for you. I'm sure you kids know the definition of that act."

"Ransom." Yukimura chided.

"That's right. Ten million yen. Each."

"What? None of our families have that kind of money!" Fuji knew it would turn out that way if it was money the men were after.

"And what will you do with us if our parents aren't able to pay you _ten million_ yen?" Yukimura added, his glare never relinquishing.

"Ahh that is our boss's decision. Either we sell you to someone who _can_ pay or," a dangerous grin appeared on all the men's faces, "we kill all of you. But we'd rather not waste such perfect boys. It'd be too heartbreaking."

Fuji didn't quite hear the entire sentence Yukimura spoke, but he made out one word, "Bastards."

* * *

In the bus, the men collected all the tennis player's belongings, rifling through them to see what they had. It seemed like they were planning on participating in some winter sports since all them carried heavy clothing and some goggles, gloves, hat, and scarves. They also found tennis racquets in all of them.

"Tennis players, huh? From the looks of it, those boys are from Seishun Gauken and Rikkai Dai Fuzoku. Maybe the boss would like to do some research before acting hastily?"

"No need. The boss knows what he's doing." The green-eyed man handed the other two a handful of cell phones. "Now, we have seventeen families to talk to.

While at the police station, seventeen cell phones rang one after another. They all received the same message: _10 million yen for your son_

The detectives took one of the cell phones and handed it to a woman behind him. "Track it."

Eiji's mother knew none of the families had that much money on them, but she was a mom and she cared only about her son's well being. Courageously, she called her son's number.

The men didn't hesitate to answer. He activated speakerphone and greeted his caller. "Hello?"

"My son." It was a woman. "I need to know if he's okay."

The man smiled. "Rest assured, ma'am, your son's not dead."

"No. Why would I trust those who kidnapped him? Let me talk to him, let me hear his voice. Let their parents hear their voices. Then we'll talk about money."

They gave in, knowing that mothers were the hardest to convince. Yukimura and Fuji were the first to talk to their families. "Your parents would like to speak to you." The green-eyed man stated, handing Yukimura the small piece of technology.

The parents of the missing boys surrounded Eiji's mother, her phone on speaker as well. Yukimura's parents sighed in relief when they heard their son's voice.

"Seiichi! Are you all right there? What's happened to you and the team?" His mother asked worriedly.

"I'm fine Mom. We've just been held in captive. I can't say how Sanada and the others are doing, but I think they're okay."

Before Yukimura heard a response, the man snatched the phone away and gave it to Fuji. "Talk. You have one thirty seconds."

Fuji let his mom, sister, and brother hear his voice telling them he was okay and that they'd see him soon (though he wasn't so sure about that part).

The men, then let the rest of the regulars talk to their parents. The adults seemed to be relieved just a bit by the sound of their son's voice. After Ryoma talked to his mom and cousin, the men talked to the parents in private again.

"Now that you know your sons are alive, 10 million. You have one week. If we don't get the money by then, they're good as dead."

Panic quickly stirred in the group of adults. None of them could pay the men 10 million yen in a week.

In the police station, the woman wasn't able to pinpoint their exact location, but found the signal to be fairly close to Kyoto, the opposite way the Regulars were heading. The detectives also heard what the kidnappers wanted and already decided who should be in the search party. They decided to look around Kyoto as well as in the city itself. They only had one week with so much land to cover.

* * *

The three men appeared before Yukimura and Fuji again. The one with green eyes really looked like the leader; he stood in front of the other two with his arms crossed and a very familiar look to his face. He looked like Tezuka and Sanada on an every day basis. Then, another man showed up. Only this time, he looked older with brown hair and dark dangerous eyes. He wore a suit and a pipe hung between his teeth.

"Very well done, gentlemen." The newcomer spoke. He definitely sounded like he smoked everyday. "You caught a rather large prey. Being the number one and two tennis teams in Japan is no small feat. Isn't that right, Yukimura Seiichi, Fuji Syusuke?" The man chuckled at the surprised face the two tennis players made. "Yes. I know about you and your team. In fact, you're more valuable, in my book, than any ordinary boys. Two National titles in a row and Japan's No. 1 tennis team? My, my. What a catch, all of you." He unlocked their cell and stepped in. First, he tormented Fuji. His hand gently touched the blue-eyed boy's cheek, gently running his fingers on the smooth skin. "What a beautiful face. It definitely is worth something." Fuji shivered at his voice and touch. He was really uncomfortable. Thankfully, it didn't last long. He shifted his attention to Yukimura. "Don't feel bad, you have quite the looks as well. Though I must admit, being diagnosed with your disease has made you look slightly frail."

Yukimura's eyes widened. "How'd you-"

"I know your team, Yukimura. I know about Rikkai's Big Three. I know about you and your illness."

Rikkaidai's captain shot a glare towards the man. "You don't know me." He said between clenched teeth. "You only know what the magazines tell you, and that isn't a lot."

The man bellowed out in laughter. "Such a smart boy you are, Yukimura." He exited the cell and faced the two junior high school students. "20 million each. That's how much you and your teams are worth. If we don't have the money in one week, the two of you are as good as dead. And after that, if we still don't have the money, one dies for every day that passes without someone paying us something. We'll inform your parents, so you don't have to worry. Good night boys." The four men left, coming back a few hours later to collect the food trays.

Their boss sure was brilliant. They knew, however, he wouldn't want the regulars dead. If their parents couldn't pay the 20 million, they were to be sold in an auction where they'd get double or even triple the money. Twenty million yen was just their boss's asking price.


	6. Imprisonment Day V

_Hi guys! So here's Day 5, and this caused me sooo much pain. I had trouble writing this chapter so if it sounds boring... not interesting... slow... and forced... sorry. I just blanked out on this chapter. However! I did finish it and it does have dialogue, yay! Also, I'm not very good at writing dialogue that involves like seven people, you'll see what I mean. But, never the less, enjoy and thanks for telling me your favorite pairings! You'll see it as the story progresses. If you want to contribute on helping me, leave a review or pm me your favorite POT pairing(s) and you may see it! Good to know that you guys are enjoying this! Thanks for reviewing! Love and all, AIR_

* * *

Ibuki, the man with gray eyes, wasn't an idiot. He just had too many things to think about that made remembering important details nearly impossible. So when he questioned himself if he had locked each and every cell after delivering food, he gave himself the benefit of the doubt and decided he did lock them.

Fuji woke up feeling something warm underneath him. He glanced up, meeting the blue eyes that belonged to Yukimura. The captain smiled down at the smaller boy. Last night, Fuji had rolled on top of him with his head lying on Yukimura's chest. He didn't want to wake him up, so he just left Fuji there.

"Good morning."

A small blush crept up Fuji's cheek. "Good morning." He sat up and tried to collect himself. "Sorry about… me… and…"

Yukimura snickered seeing a flustered Fuji. It was kind of cute. "Don't worry about it. I was afraid you'd wake up if I moved you and you looked like you were having a nice dream too."

The red hue on Fuji's face darkened even further. He couldn't even reply to Yukimura's comments. When Fuji walked over to get their food tray, he noticed their cell door to be slightly ajar.

"Yukimura." He whispered. Rikkai's captain glanced over to where the shorter boy stood. "They left it open."

Yukimura stood up and observed the cell door next to Fuji. "This would be the second time."

"Second time?"

"Yes. They left it open before. I was able to talk to Sanada and Tezuka because of it." He continued to widen the gap, stopping abruptly when he heard the metal creak. When the opening was big enough to allow him through, Yukimura slipped out of the cell followed by Fuji.

Yukimura slightly pulled on the door, hoping it would get Sanada's attention. And that it did. When Rikkai's vice-captain heard the door rattle, he called out Yukimura's name again.

"Sanada, is that Buchou?" Marui called over to his teammate. He got his answer when he heard Yukimura's voice come softly through the door.

The volley specialist glanced back at Momo and Ryoma. They gave him a nod. "Renji, what's the chance that they'll come back and check on us in five to ten minutes?" He called over at the master.

Simultaneously, Renji and Inui answered, "45%."

"It won't be for a few more hours until they show up again." Inui added.

With that information in mind, Marui, Momo, and Echizen discreetly opened their unlocked cell door and quietly tiptoed their way over to Sanada's cell, right by the door.

Everyone's eyes widened at the sight of their teammate out in the 'open.'

"Bunta how'd you-"

Marui pressed a finger over his lips. "The guy left it unlocked after he delivered us food."

"Bunta?" Yukimura asked from the other side.

Rikkai's red head suddenly brightened. "Yukimura! How are you? Is everything all right? Did they hurt you? I'm sorry if they did; Niou, Akaya, and I didn't eat a couple nights back." Sadness filled his voice as he continued, "Sorry. We didn't mean to-"

"It's okay." Yukimura's voice had a hint of happiness in them. "I'm just happy you guys are fine. Don't worry about us. Just as long as you guys behave, there's nothing to worry about."

While Marui talked with his captain, Momo and Ryoma conversed with their senpai. They knew by the sound of his voice he wasn't feeling the best. Momo also apologized for the first round of punishment he caused. Taka told Momo to tell Fuji that he too was sorry for his second round of whippings.

"Taka says he's also sorry for the second time they punished you." Fuji was rather surprised to hear that Taka did something wrong. "He accidently broke one of the bars."

To their surprise, Fuji snickered. "I guess that's one downfall for being the strongest."

Momo and Ryoma couldn't help but grin. They missed their senapai so much and it was good to hear Fuji laugh. Tezuka heard it as well. It made him happy to know Fuji wasn't so caught up with being held in captive and trying to find ways to escape.

"Just as Yukimura said, behave. Try not do anything that might make the men angry."

"Like escaping from your cell?" A deep cold voice froze the two players. A hand went through between them and unlocked the door, revealing the three other players. "Ahh… Communicating are we?"

The five tennis players saw eachother for the first time in five days. Fuji seemed okay, a faint smile on the lips, but they didn't know the extent of that smile.

"Yukimura!" Marui noticed a small slash on the captain's face right on his cheekbone. He tried to step forward to get a better look, but the man pushed him back and backhanded his face, much to everyone's surprise.

"Bunta!" Jackal yelled.

"Now what makes you think you get the privilege of reuniting with your friend?" The man growled, his hands on Fuji and Yukimura's shoulder. One of the other kidnappers roughly pushed the three other boys back towards the cell. "I guess we'll have to punish all five of you."

Yukimura and Fuji stared up at the man. "You said if they didn't follow your rules you'd only hurt us! I don't care what you do to us, just don't do anything to them!" Fuji knew Yukimura didn't mind being punished as long as Rikkai's team members stayed unharmed.

"Thanks to our boss, we can't physically punish you all the time. I hope you can survive without food for four day. Your friends can definitely go for two."

Sanada and Tezuka clearly heard their plan. They were to starve Yukimura and Fuji for four days while Marui, Momo, and Echizen starved for two. They already received just enough food to survive, and taking that away… The two stoic boys wished more than anything at the moment to be in their teammates place.

The brown-eyed man locked the three back in their cell, double checking the door to make sure it was really locked. Then, he closed the doors leading to the other room. Before they let the two boys be, the men ordered Yukimura and Fuji to strip their shirt. Once that was done, they tied the smaller wrists to the wooden poles. Instead of using a regular whip like what they had been doing for the past few punishments, the brown-eyed man named Izumi unbuckled his belt, twisting his hand around the leather to shorten the accessory. He targeted Yukimura first.

Rikkaidai's captain didn't have very many marks compared to Fuji. He yelped out in pain at the feeling of the cold leather snapping against his skin. His soft, delicate voice rippled in the room, echoing as the scream intensified and lengthened. Each whip harder than the previous one. Fuji easily saw blood staining Yukimura's fair skin. He couldn't get mad and try to escape; for, if he did, they'd brand the blue-haired boy in an instant. Fuji knew that feeling and he didn't want Yukimura to know the pain as well.

After what seemed like fifty whips, Izumi commenced on punishing Fuji. The belt didn't hurt as much as the hot needle, but that didn't mean the belt didn't cause any pain. Fuji's teeth sank in his bottom lip as he tried his best to minimize the scream.

The room with all the other regulars was fairly quiet as usual. Marui reminded himself repeatedly that it was his fault Yukimura and Fuji were being punished. Renji and Inui told him there was a 45% chance. And fate decided to take that chance. But if only he was more careful, then it wouldn't have to happen. Even if they didn't look like it, Momo and Ryoma were, too, silent with guilt.

Sanada and Tezuka suffered the most out of all fifteen of them. They were the ones closest to the door. They heard the screams, the whips, the cries. It tore them inside out.

Over the past many years of knowing eachother, Sanada had grown protective of Yukimura. Especially since his disease. He wanted nothing more than to see their captain happy. But the Yukimura he caught a glimpse of minutes before wasn't happy; his spirit seemed to have been damaged. Sanada wanted to tell him everything was going to be okay. If he did, however, he'd be lying to their captain.

Tezuka was in the same trance as Sanada. Seigaku's angel was always difficult to read and understand. But not to Tezuka. He knew what Fuji was thinking and feeling at almost every single moment. Unlike Momo and Ryoma who only saw a faint smile on their tensai's face, Tezuka saw and apologetic and almost frightened smile. It hurt him knowing Fuji was slowly and surely deteriorating. Sure he was a strong tennis player, but that power wasn't on par with his willpower and maybe even his optimism. Or perhaps Fuji accepted something Tezuka could not.

Fatigue wrapped its arms around both tennis players as the night sailed along. Tomorrow would be another day of unknown events, and no one looked forward to it.


	7. Imprisonment Day VI Pt I

_Hi guys! Sorry I updated late. I've been preparing to go on vacation. And with that being said, I won't be uploading part II until Monday :( soooo sorry! I wanted this to be one chapter but it was too long for me so two parts it is! Please don't kill me! Thank you guys for reviewing and below is a way to help you figure who's who. 'cause it wasn't so easy to write it. I hope you guys like this chapter as much as I loved trying to figure out how it ended :P (was not fun. I did like three drafts before finally settling on this one) Love and all, AIR_

 _Their captors aka the three men:_

 _Isana-leader w/ green eyes_

 _Ibuki- guy w/ gray eyes_

 _Izumi-guy w/ brown eyes_

* * *

Outside, clouds bunched together, darkening the sky. Soon, rain began to downpour. From inside, the regulars easily heard the raindrops and thunder. They were told many times that rain was a tennis player's worst enemy. But now, more than ever, they wanted to be outside in the rain. They wanted to play in the heavy storm and enjoy every moment. Freedom was starting to become a thing of the past.

The police searched the surrounding towns north of Kyoto and found nothing. That's where the signal stopped. Either the boys were being held captive in the city itself or somewhere south of Kyoto. Either way, they had little time to waste, only given a week before the kidnappers kill the young tennis players. Even so, it was a large amount of land to cover in such little of a time.

A cold hand grabbed Yukimura by the arm, jolting the captain awake. He was pushed into the narrow hallway again and into that room. "Clean up," was the last thing he heard before everything stilled again.

It hurt to move. Yukimura's back pained at every movement he made. Still, he made an effort to clean himself and dowse in the water, even if it was freezing water. Once he hit the cold ground of his cell, he wanted to pass out and continue sleeping.

Fuji was in the room washing himself down. Yukimura was exhausted and starving. He remembered that he and Fuji would receive no food for the next four days. Four long torturous days.

When the blue-eyed boy returned, he lay on stomach next to Yukimura. He was just as tired and hungry as the taller boy. They lay there side by side in silence until exhaustion forced them back to sleep, like they cared. They hadn't had much rest in the past few days.

Marui, Momo, and Ryoma tried their best to keep their eyes off of everybody else's food tray. Their stomachs growled uncontrollably. Marui was having the hardest time out of the three players. He had gone five full days without sweets and swore he was suffering from a withdrawal.

A few cells down, Tezuka and Sanada sat across from eachother, arms crossed, and wore the same emotionless face. Only this time, there was a hint of determination.

"What do you the chances are of us actually taking down one of those men when they come back?" Sanada asked, his eyes focusing on the figure in front of him.

"Why don't we ask our data specialists?" Tezuka directed his voice towards Inui's cell on the other side of the room and the opposite end. "Inui, if Sanada and I were to fight one of the men head on, what's the probability that we'll win?"

A short silence lingered before Yanagi and Inui both answered, "25%."

"There's an 88% chance that they'll have some sort of weapon with them and a 73% chance that one of them equals the strength of Taka and Momoshiro combined. So it's clear to say that the two of you will have no luck in beating one." Inui continued in detail.

"That's not all. If you do try your escape plan, which I hope you won't, there's a 100% chance that they'll gravely hurt Seiichi and Fuji. So please, don't do anything reckless." Yanagi added, three cells down from the two stoic boys.

Sanada and Tezuka found it hard to believe that their chance of escape was so slim. They just didn't want to escape; they wanted to help Fuji and Yukimura as well. Out of anything, Tezuka hated feeling useless.

Around noon, Momo and Marui were both groaning with hunger. It was only their first day and their body begged for food. Ryoma tried not to show how hungry he was. Jackal, seeing his doubles partner in great need of something to eat, wrapped up one of the water bottles and a stale piece of bread in his blazer. He slipped the food between the bars and threw it towards Marui's cell as hard as he could.

The three players unwrapped the wonderful gift from Marui's partner, the volley specialist nearly crying. "Jackal!"

Jackal nodded with a smile. Oishi and Eiji both followed Rikkai's example and hurled a piece of their meal towards Ryoma and Momo.

"We can't have you guys dying on us." Eiji called over.

Marui, Momo, and Ryoma all ate the food they were generously given ravenously, not caring if there was going to be none left for the evening, and thanking their senpais and doubles partner.

Sanada and Tezuka weren't hungry to say the least. They would've given their teammate something to eat as well if they were in the same world right then and there. They were too busy thinking of other ways to escape and rescue Yukimura and Fuji.

The sound of heavy steal doors opening disrupted their thought process. The man with green eyes stepped in followed by the other two. They walked slowly, glancing in every cell to make sure everything was okay. The green-eyed man suddenly stopped in front of Marui's cell.

"Oh? What do we have here?" He squatted down to get a better look and saw water bottles in their cell. "I don't remember giving you any sort of meal this morning. Were your friends stupid enough to actually defy you punishments? I guess blackmailing you with your own teammate isn't enough. Or is it because you don't know what's actually happening to them so you don't care? Well in that case, it can't be helped." He didn't give the regulars a chance to reply to his comments. He turned to his friends. "Get them."

Tezuka and Sanada cringed at the sight of Fuji and Yukimura. They were barely strong enough to stand up right. The two frail boys stumbled in the room, and Isana forced them to look at him straight in the eye. "What? Just a few whippings and you're already weak?" He said it mostly towards Fuji. The smaller player wasn't nearly as strong as Yukimura; therefore, Isana targeted the blue-eyed boy first.

He forcefully grabbed Fuji and threw him down, the boy cried out in pain. His left shoulder hit the ground first, the mark on his back taking most of the impact. He heard several of his friends call out to him, even some of Rikkaidai's players. Fuji then felt like a brick fell on his ribcage as the man punched him repeatedly. Some landed across his face, right under his eyes and some on his jaw. Fuji didn't appreciate the metallic taste in his mouth. He thought, as long as it only him getting beaten up, it was okay. As long as Yukimura and everyone else weren't harmed, it was okay.

When Yukimura freed himself from the grasp of the man named Ibuki, he was immediately restrained with just a pull of his hair. He felt a tip of a blade pressed against his temple.

"Don't move." A raspy voice whispered. "Or this knife's going straight through your head."

Yukimura stood still watching as the leader beat Fuji with his own two fists. Tezuka grabbed the bars of cell, hoping so badly that he'd be able to break it and save the angel being tortured by a devil's spawn.

Isana still didn't feel satisfied. Blood stained the side of Fuji's mouth and lip, and it still wasn't enough. The man stood up from the broken boy and faced the regulars, a devious smirk on his face. "Which one of you has the closest relationship with this brat?"

Tezuka's grip suddenly rattled the bar. The man holding a knife to Yukimura's head noticed the change in his atmosphere.

"Isana." Yukimura's captor shifted his eyes over to Tezuka.

The man named Isana smirked even wider. He opened up the cell that held Seigaku's captain and pulled Tezuka out in the open. "Light that." He commanded the other man, the one named Izumi. The man took out a lighter and a safety pin. He unclasped the pin and held the sharp point against the flame. "Make sure it's hot."

Tezuka didn't like where this was going. Were they going to brand him and Fuji or what? The other regulars watched in horror as the man gave Tezuka the hot needle and pushed him down towards Fuji.

"Now, you're going to mark that boy on his wrist until he bleeds, or," the pointed a handgun towards Yukimura, "that one dies."

Tezuka's eyes widened. He didn't want to. He didn't want to hurt Fuji. But Fuji wasn't even struggling, he didn't even protest, like he accepted what was going to happen to him. Those deep, captivating eyes that used to shine with life now seemed distant and afraid… and dead. Tezuka could feel Fuji's body racking with small sobs, but no tears spilled from his eyes.

"You have ten seconds." A cold voice warned. The needle slowly inched towards Fuji's wrist, the sobbing became more erratic and pleading.

He knew Fuji didn't want this; he just told his body that it was okay. "Tezuka." The captain stopped and met the eyes of his friend.

"Fuji… I-"

"Three."

"It's okay. Go on."

"But-"

"Two."

"Tezuka!" Yukimura yelled.

"Go on. I'll be fine."

"Fuji-"

"One."


	8. Imprisonment Day VI Pt II

_Hi guys! I'm so so so SO sorry this is uploaded late! But I warned ya I was going on vacation... and yes it took longer than I thought. We got back late Sunday and today was just a day to catch up and settle down after a packed trip. So here is the second part to Day 6 and I hope you guys like it! Oh btw, this story is about halfway done... maybe idk.. still working on the plot for the other chapters... but anyway, would you guys like a happy ending or a sad ending? If you're going to let me pick you already know what I'm going to choose. Happy endings aren't my thing ( hehe :P) But if you prefer a happy ending, I will write one! So go on ahead and pick so you won't be disappointed! Thanks for reading! Love and all, AIR_

* * *

Fuji's pained scream pierced through Tezuka's heart. He pressed the needle deep enough to make Fuji bleed, but shallow enough that it wouldn't burn through the second layer of skin. The regulars closed their eyes and shifted their head to look away. It was too much to bear. Eiji burst into tears, crying ever so softly while watching their captain hurting his best friend. Oishi couldn't watch the scene unfold either, no one could. Not with the tone of that scream. Tezuka trailed the needle vertically down the smaller boy's wrist, the screams of agony never faltering until the hot metal was off his flesh. Even then, small soft cries and pants emitted from Fuji.

Tezuk'a mind numbed. He couldn't speak, think, or even move. He just stared at Fuji's harmed body and his branded wrist. Blood pooled around the pale hand; it made Tezuka sick. He wanted to apologize, to take Fuji far away from the hell they were buried in, but he just stayed there.

It wasn't until Isana pulled him off of his friend his mind started working again. Tezuka tried to comfort his friend, but the man wouldn't let him. Isana pushed Tezuka back into his cell with Sanada and yanked Fuji up to his feet.

The weak brown-haired boy slumped in Yukimura's arms as the men made their point. Any more misbehaving and Yukimura was next. The taller boy hugged Fuji closer to his chest so he could hear his heartbeat. Dark blue eyes met Tezuka's. It was cold, yet filled with sympathy.

* * *

Izumi had given Rikkai's captain a small piece of cloth to tie around Fuji's wrist to help stop the bleeding. Fuji lay on his back, trembling and panting with his eyes wide with fear and hurt. Yukimura spoke gentle words to him as he cleaned up the mark on the smaller boy's wrist. A gasp or flinch meant the cloth stung his wound.

Fuji relaxed a bit after feeling Yukimura's soft, gentle hand caressing his cheek. His breathing slowed and his body lost all the tension. Once Yukimura finished, he shifted Fuji's head on his lap and ran his tender fingers through the brown hair, trying to let the injured figure get some rest. He watched as the beautiful sapphire eyes slowly closed. Yukimura leaned back and sighed. They needed to get out of there. They desperately needed a way out.

Tezuka sat at the very back corner of their cell, knees up to his chest, arms around his knees. His mind tuned every detail of the real world out. The only thing on his mind was the sight of Fuji's face in agony, and his screams. Fuji's screams replayed over and over like a broken player. How could he? Fuji was his best friend! They've known each other since their first year of junior high. He trusted Fuji more than Oishi and enjoyed having a good relationship with the tensai. Also. he noticed, on more than one occasion, his feelings towards his friend became jumbled up and confusing. Of course he loved Fuji (though he'd never admit to anyone but himself)… but he was starting to see it as a deeper kind of love.

He didn't even notice Sanada sitting next to him. The vice-captain's voice broke Tezuka out of his daze. "What are we going to do know?"

Instead of answering Sanada's question, Tezuka asked, "Would you have done it?" When he saw a questioning look on the other boy's face, he continued, "If it was Yukimura instead of Fuji, you instead of me, would you have branded him?"

Silence hung in the air for some time before Sanada replied softly, "Maybe." He felt Tezuka's eyes studying him. "Yukimura would more than likely be furious at me if I sacrificed a life to keep him safe. In the end, I would've probably done what you did."

Their conversation was cut short by a loud thud coming from a few cells down. Since Sanada and Tezuka were too busy talking to eachother, they failed to notice one of the men coming in and checking on them. Niou had a plan and asked his teammate what his chances were. Yanagi explained to him that his plan had a better chance of escape than Tezuka and Sanada's. Niou took that chance.

So when the man stood in front of Niou and Yanagi's cell, Rikkai's trickster managed to get the one named Izumi to unlock the door. And when he stepped in the cell, he collapsed. Niou smiled in accomplishment.

"Niou, Renji, what's going on?" Sanada asked. But he received no answer.

"You have fifteen minutes. Make good use of it." Yanagi reminded him, pulling the unconscious body to the very back of the cell. The data master watched as the other Rikkai player transformed into one of their captors. "Be careful, Niou. If they catch you, Yukimura might as well be dead."

The transformed boy nodded in understanding; the last thing he wanted was Yukimura hurt because of him; however, they desperately needed to escape. He searched the collapsed man for the key. He could've easily unlocked the others' cells, but he wasn't so sure where the other men were. If they were to appear, they wouldn't hesitate to kill Fuji and Yukimura.

The players were too occupied in their own world to notice Niou's plan go into action. They were too occupied to even notice the large metal doors being open by one of the regulars.

When Niou stepped in to the side of the door, he made sure his surrounding was clear before running over to the only cell in the room. He ignored the gallows and other weapons hanging on the opposite wall.

"Yukimura!" Niou transformed back into his usual self, unlocking Fuji and his captain's cell.

The blue-haired boy watched in astonishment as his teammate came in. "N-Niou! What are you doing here? How'd you get here? Wh-?"

"Sh! If you're too loud they'll hear you. And don't worry about me. Yanagi said this plan had a better chance of success than Sanada and Tezuka's escape plan."

Yukimura smiled softly at the sound of Sanada actually trying to find a way out. He hasn't lost hope yet. "I'm glad you're safe. No one's harmed? Everyone still in one piece?"

Niou sat across from their captain. "Always thinking about others. Glad you're still you. We miss you. I think we're all slowly starting to lose our sanity. If we want to survive, we need to get out of here."

"I know. I'm sorry."

"How is he?" Niou's attention was now focused on a sleeping Fuji whose head lay on Yukimura's lap. "I can't believe Tezuka actually did that to him. From what I heard, he and Fuji have been friends since their first year at Seigaku; yet, he goes and does that to him."

"You know Tezuka didn't have a choice. I'm sure Fuji would've rather had his best friend hurt him than have me dead." Yukimura began to stroke the smaller boy's hair like a few hours ago. "Look, Niou, whatever you have planned, go do it already. I'll be fine, just as long as you and the rest behave. I'll see you soon, okay?"

The light haired boy sighed and stood up. "Guess you're right. If I stay here, it beats my initial purpose. Stay alive, okay, Buchou?"

Yukimura nodded. "You, too."

* * *

The door across from Yukimura and Fuji's cell led to a small room about three times the size of their cells. In the middle stood a folding table with a laptop and a matching folding chair underneath. Across the room were their bags piled up. Niou immediately searched their bags for their phones. When he rifled through all seventeen bags, he found none. Everytime he saw a tennis racquet, though, he reminiscent about the tennis courts and playing the sport itself. For a moment, he was caught in a trance.

On the eastern wall was a door, which lead to another room. This time, it looked like one of those old school offices with fancy wooden tables with lit candles on top. Niou opened one of the drawers and luckily found what he was looking for. He picked up his cell phone and turned it on. It still had three bars of battery and signal. Before he got caught, he discreetly went back to his cell after updating Yukimura on his work. He helped Yanagi roll out the man back out of the cell. The other players noticed the movements. He let them yell at him and scold him and let Sanada grill him until only ashes remained. Thankfully, Yanagi was able to defend him. Niou put the key back inside the man's pocket after locking their cell. They laid Izumi close enough to return the key.

What seemed like a few minutes later, the man woke up and sat up. "Wh- what happened? I thought I was…"

"Oh you were, but you passed out." Niou explained innocently. "We would've helped you, but unfortunately, we're stuck here."

Izumi didn't want to believe that he just suddenly collapsed for no apparent reason. But, since he can't remember what happened, he accepted the story. He left after making sure everyone was behaving and no one gave Marui, Momo, and Ryoma any other treats.

Once everything was clear, Niou sent a message to his parents:

 _Track my phone. It'll lead you to us. Don't reply._


	9. Imprisonment Day VII

_Hi guys! Sorry for the late update... Going on vacation messed up my updating schedule. Well here's days 7 for ya! Oh btw, the story is over halfway done, my mistake. And I'm starting to notice that if I want to include pairings... *sniffle* it has to have a happy ending (noooooo!) But that's okay! 'Cause I can write fluffy things no problem! So you're welcome, hehe! Thank you guys for favoriting, and following, and reviewing, and even just stopping by and reading! It means a lot and I will be forever grateful! Love and all, AIR_

* * *

Around midnight, Fuji woke up with his body unable to move. Several of his muscles contracted when he tried to move them. He tilted his head further back and found himself staring into the dark blue eyes of Rikkaidai's captain. Yukimura grinned.

"How do you feel?" There was something in his eyes Fuji noticed to be very familiar. Exhaustion.

"Have you slept at all?" Fuji asked, his voice weak and in a whisper.

Yukimura sighed, shaking his head. "That's okay. You need it more than I do."

Fuji shifted his body, trying to sit up, even if it resulted in sharp pains all over. Once he sat across from Yukimura, he touched the other boy's cheek. Not expecting Fuji's hand to be cold, Rikkai's captain flinched.

"You're warm."

"And you're cold." He placed a hand on top of the one on his cheek.

Fuji's eyes looked at him wearily. "Yukimura, do you have a fever?" He touched the boy's forhead with the back of his other hand. "You do!"

"Stop. I'm fine." Yukimura gently put Fuji's hands back on the smaller form's lap. "You're the one that needs attention, not me."

But Fuji didn't let it go. "Are you cold?"

 _No._

"Liar." Fuji forcefully let Yukimura lay his head on his lap and sleep. He draped the dark green blazer over its owner.

Yukimura wanted nothing more than to protest, but his body didn't want to follow his mind's commands. He had to admit, Fuji caught him with his hands red. And he was grateful the tensai didn't mind. The smaller boy was warm compared to Yukimura. Fuji watched as the dark blue eyes closed, drifting into a slumber.

* * *

Niou's parents received their son's text message late at night. It was almost eleven and neither adults got very much sleep. Neither did the other parents. They stayed up most nights to make sure they didn't miss a phone call from the police telling them that they had found their children. They immediately called the police and explained to them the situation. They took the phone and did what the text message told them to do.

They tracked the previous call down near Kyoto, but this time, as long as Niou's phone didn't lose signal or battery, they would be able to find the regulars easily.

* * *

Yukimura woke up with his throat burning and his body aching with occasional shivers. He sat up next to Fuji, waking up the younger boy.

"Feeling better?" The tensai asked, stretching out his sore body.

Fuji saw Yukimura shook his head. "I think I got worse." He suddenly felt a something warm and heavy on his left side. His eyes widened as Fuji wrapped his arms around his waist and pulled him closer. "F-Fuji! What are you-!"

"Don't get the wrong idea, but this way, you'll be warmer."

The Child of God was going to protest, but he found himself to be really enjoying Fuji's warm body against his cold one. He rested his head on the smaller form's shoulder, leaning his head against the brown hair. Yukimura really wished Sanada was there. Their vice-captain always knew how to make their captain feel better. And especially on occasions that this, he knew Sanada would be doing his best to make Yukimura feel more comfortable.

"What's this? Getting all intimate, huh?" Fuji quickly retracted and followed the sound of the voice. They saw the boss standing in front of their cell, smoking a cigarette, a smirk on his face.

"What do you want?" Yukimura asked between clenched teeth.

"Calm down. I just came to remind you that you're parents have four days to give me the money. I still haven't figured out what to do with you afterwards. Should I kill you, or sell you to one of my clients?" The boss blew out a line of smoke. "You see, some of my clients are in need of new servants. They want one that is beautiful, young, and clean. And since you tennis players are no older than fifteen, it's safe to assume you're all virgins." He stepped closer and stared at the blue-haired boy happily. "Ah Yukimura… Beautiful, young, and a virgin. I'd get a lot of money for you." His gaze then shifted over to Fuji. "Unfortunately for you, my men have made too many marks on your body. You'll sell for less… But those blue eyes may be what gets people to buy you. So rare and captivating. You boys sure are something else!" He laughed out in the enclosed room. "Yes. I think I'll just sell you." He turned and walked a few steps before stopping. "Oh. I almost forgot." He faced the two boys, holding out his cell phone. On the screen was a picture from the morning news showing gatherings from their schools. Students, faculty, and parents held out candles and signs asking for the safe return of the missing tennis players. "You kids sure are special. They haven't lost hope yet. Maybe that's a good thing."

Yukimura scowled, "I swear to god, we will get out of here. And when we do-"

"Don't threaten me pointlessly, child. It's embarrassing."

* * *

When the boss returned to the room his men occupied, Isana didn't look so happy.

"What's with that face? You look like you can kill anyone right about now." The boss slumped on a chair, putting his feet up on the table.

"That boy. I hate him." The green-eyed man answered.

Their boss put out his cigarette. "Which one? There are seventeen of them."

"The one with blue eyes and brown hair."

"Interesting. What might be the reason to hate him? Fuji's such an innocent player."

"Isana thinks he's weak. The boy reminds him of his old self." Ibuki answered with a grin. The three of them have known eachother for years and knew each other inside out.

"Fuji is not weak. He's Seigaku's number 2 player. According to those monthly tennis magazines, Fuji's the scariest out of the regulars from his school. The boy may look weak, but that's probably because he's not out on the courts. And because you whipped him a hundred times and branded him twice and currently starving him. How can he not look weak?" The others snickered at the truthfulness of their boss's words.

"Sir, I ask for permission to teach that boy a lesson." Isana ignored the realization said by their leader. For some strange reason, he truly despised Fuji. He stared in the eyes of their boss, determination and hate filling the dark green color.

The man lit another cigarette. "Fine. But, I don't want you making any more marks on Yukimura. If that boy stays just the way he is, he'll sell for plenty. And try to restrain yourself. Too many slashes on Fuji will deteriorate his value."

The three men bowed in understanding. "Yes sir."

* * *

It was day two without food. Fuji and Yukimura needed it more than ever, especially Yukimura. His body ached and chills shot up his spine every few minutes. He had worn his blazer and had Fuji's jacket around his shoulder and the younger boy's warm body against his. He was still cold.

For a while now, everything was silent and still. The regulars on the other side hadn't done much so the three men couldn't punish their teammtes. Marui, Momo, and Ryoma all suffered from hunger as well. The other regulars, especially Jackal, wanted to give the three some of their food; but, after what happened last time, they didn't even want to risk it.

Most of them were bored out their mind. They didn't have anything to distract them. The most energetic ones got bored the fastest. Those included players like Momo, Marui, Eiji, Kirihara, and sometimes Niou and Ryoma. Oishi decided to talk about old times to help pass the time and to loosen up the tense and quiet mood. They talked about training and Inui's horrible drinks. They also told stories when Tezuka wasn't there with them, and about the time they bowled and played billiards. Just talking about the past made Tezuka miss Fuji even further.

To relieve their boredom as well, Marui started talking about the times Niou tricked Kirihara. Of course, the kohai didn't know it, so he went on and on scolding his senpai about those times. It seemed to distract them, remembering old memories. However, it also carried along sadness, remembering Yukimura. Sanada was in the same place as Tezuka; he missed his best friend terribly.

Sanada wondered how long they'd have to wait. That day marked their seventh day held in captive. That meant their parents had just over three days to get the money and set them free.


	10. Imprisonment Day VIII

_Hi guys! Sorry I wasn't able to update sooner... A little emergency happened earlier so I wasn't able to write out the rest of the chapter. Anyway! here's day 8 chapter 10 (I didn't think I'd make it :P) and this has to be one of the creepier chapters I've written... You'll see why. If it's not creepy, sorry I'm just a lil more sensitive than most hehe... so I hope you like it and stay tuned for day 9 'cause it's going to be great! (I hope) Oh! And thank you so so so so so so much for taking the time to review my story and telling me it's well written and you love it and all those lovely words! I appreciate each and every one of them so thank you! Love and all, AIR_

* * *

Their boss came in extra early that day with another man. His guest looked similar to him, trimmed brown hair, brown eyes, a blazer on top of a white shirt and tie, matching dress pants, and black shoes. The boss bragged to the man about Yukimura, saying how the boy was everything his client was looking for.

It was still early in the morning; so, when they stopped in front of the cell, the two boys were still asleep. Fuji's arms wrapped around Yukimura protectively and comfortingly. The boss kicked the metal bars, waking up the two boys. They sat up to face the two men, Yukimura pressing against the smaller body for warmth.

"See? What did I tell you, Yashiro? Isn't he perfection?" He gestured towards the blue haired figure on the other side of the bars.

Fuji's eyes snapped open. He wasn't planning on selling Yukimura to that lowlife was he? The man named Yashiro squatted down to be on the same eye level as the other two. He studied Yukimura for a little bit before meeting the blue stunning eyes of Fuji. Those eyes, they conceal feelings and yet, they also spoke the truth. So haunting and captivating. And the boy himself wasn't bad looking. No. In fact, he and Yukimura were on the same field when it came to attractiveness in Yashiro's perspective.

A small grin appeared on the man's face. "How much does _he_ sell for?" he tilted his head towards Fuji.

"Him? Oh well… you see I didn't expect you to-"

"The price." His voice came out stiff and impatient. When the boss explained to him that he was planning on selling Fuji to someone else, Yashiro's grin widened. "60 million yen. I'll go as high as 120 if others want him."

"That much a scratched porcelain doll, though… Are you sure?"

"Yes." The man stood up and faced the boss. "Scratches heal. I'll be able to overlook them."

The boss's eyes widened. "Well if their parents don't pay 20 million in three days, he's all yours."

Fuji locked eyes with his buyer. He watched as the man slowly licked his lips, moving his eyes all over the small slender body. "Perfect. Keep him the way he is. I like them young and innocent."

* * *

Since their leader sternly told Isana that Fuji had to stay just the way he was at that moment, the man seemed to be sulking more often. However, to reward him for capturing the regulars, the boss allowed him to beat the boy, he just had to make sure he didn't make any mark on "his beautiful face."

It had been a few hours since Yashiro visited and the regulars were up and bored. Yukimura's fever stayed; he cuddled Fuji and slept for the most part. Not that Fuji minded. He thought Rikkaidai's captain could use a break. He suddenly stiffened when he saw Isana walk in the room. The man unlocked the door and dragged out Fuji, waking up Yukimura as well.

 _What'd they do now?_ The captain thought in annoyance. He heard their captor commanding Fuji to strip his shirt and stand against the wall.

The man tied the slender pale wrists to the ropes hanging from the ceiling. Since the line was higher than Fuji with his arms raised up, being tied caused the boy to stand on his tiptoes. Isana also took two cloths and wrapped one around the boy's mouth, the other over the blue eyes.

"Don't worry, your friends did nothing wrong. It's you who's at fault." His hands tightly clenched into a fist. "You're lucky someone found you attractive." The man sent a kick to Fuji's ribcage. "Or I would've done something worse to you. You're pathetically weak and disgustingly innocent. I hate people like you." A punch or kick to the torso accompanied every word. Fuji felt sick. He felt like throwing up food that wasn't even in him. The familiar taste of metal overcame the senses on his tongue. The color red stained the perfectly white cloth tied around his mouth. Isana didn't care. He continued beating the helpless form. Somewhere from afar, he could hear a familiar voice begging him to stop. It was too late, though. Blood dripped from the end of the cloth down to the ground.

After what seemed like hours of getting beaten, Fuji then felt a pair of cold hands on his sides. Chills slithered up his body as the cold hands elevated, then dropped. The fingers slowly massaged his back, sending more chills throughout his body. He tried to move his arms, but they were bounded tightly and well over his head. He couldn't kick either since his feet were barely on the ground, and it would mean he'd have to put all the pressure on one side of his body, putting more weight on the toes touching the ground.

One hand suddenly disappeared and Fuji felt it right on top of his pants. The hand suddenly undid the buttons. A cold palm traced over his pelvis and abdomen in a lustful and greedy way.

Before the man took it a step further, a voice echoed in the room, "Are you really going to rape him, Isana?" Their boss stepped in, smoking a cigarette. "If you do, he'll cost less. You know I won't like that." He blew out a puff of smoke. "Let him go."

The man scowled, but followed his orders anyway. He untied Fuji's hands and removed the cloths on his face and threw the boy his white shirt. Isana tossed his leader the key and left.

Yukimura hugged Fuji tightly, making sure the younger player was okay. "I had never been more afraid in my entire life." He breathed out in relief. Once the clicking sound of the cell locking was heard, the two regulars knew they were alone again.

"I did, too. I'm really glad the guy showed up when he did." Yukimura gently wiped away the trails of blood on both sides of Fuji's mouth, noticing that he wasn't hit on his face at all. Guess the man wanted to keep the angel's face unharmed.

The two of them noticed, not for the first time, that money was the only thing keeping them alive. If others were not willing to pay such a high price for them, their captors would've killed them a long time ago. Money was going to kill them, send them off to a new life. Money could also set them free.

* * *

"Damn it!" Niou whispered aggressively. He only now realized his phone had zero bars of signal.

"What's wrong?" Yanagi asked, reminding his teammate to keep it down.

"I don't have any signal. That means they can't track my phone."

"Well, why don't you try getting out of the corner and put your phone out through the bars." The data master suggested. He doubt Niou had any signal from all the way back into the cell.

Niou slipped his arm through the bars, his hand tightly around the small piece of technology. He watched as a bar appeared on the screen. "One bar is good enough to find us."

* * *

The police lost the phone's signal while searching in the small town. They were being led somewhere past the populated area and into a more secluded country road. There were still telephone poles out there in the vast land so tracking down the cell phone wasn't going to be a problem. It was past sundown, almost midnight, and the signal stopped. They were eight kilometers from the town and thirty-two kilometers from Kyoto. The only thing around them was an empty field on one side and forest on the other.

The detectives decided to search inside the thick forest in hopes of finding something abandoned that had the ability to house seventeen children. Sure enough, they found a brick building about the size of fifty or so storage units. They pulled out their handguns, positioning the weapon on top of their flashlights, slowly proceeding towards the building. There was a car parked outside. Someone was inside.

One of the detectives found a locked door on the far end. There was no other door or even window from outside the building. It seemed like there was only one way in and one way out. The detective shot the keyhole and pushed the door open, the rest of the squad following behind in high alert.

12:01 am


	11. Rescue

_Hi guys! So here I am again with another late update... Just expect it from now on. Sorry! But here's Day 9! I hope you like it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Though it was hard to start it. But I made it! So enjoy! BTW, sorry for the small mistakes the last chapter had and perhaps on this chapter too. I'm just too distracted by outside variables lately so if the writing quality has dropped, my apologies :(. Thanks so much for reading and an extra thank you for reviewing! It means so much that you guys take time to tell me you like this story! From now on, you will see more of the pairings you guys voted for (yay!) we only have a few more to go! Thanks so again! Love and all, AIR_

* * *

The room was dark with no signs of a light switch anywhere. One of the detectives shone her flashlight upward and saw the metal bars restraining the missing boys. The rest quickly hurried to the other cells, shining light in the dark space to reveal the sleeping forms of the regulars.

Some of them woke up to the light flashing in their eyes. Momo squinted, trying to adjust to the bright light in his face.

"What the-"

The detective announced over her shoulder, "It's them. Set them free." She turned her attention back and looked at the pair of purple eyes. "Stay there, don't move." She pointed her handgun at the keyhole and shot it. Unfortunately for the cell door lock, it wasn't as strong as it used to be back when the building was first made; therefore, it shattered easily .

The sound of the impact woke up everyone, even the three men. The lights suddenly switched on and voice could be heard from the other side.

"What the hell is going on here?" The double steel doors opened revealing the regulars' captors. The squad of fifteen detectives pulled out their handguns and pointed it towards the three men.

Before the men had time to get out their weapon, the woman yelled, "Put your hands behind your head and get on your knees! Get on your knees!"

Four detectives approached the defenseless men while another three searched the adjacent room. They stripped the men of any weapons and found the keys to the cells. Another three detectives freed the regulars. A loud bang rippled through the air coming from the other room. Once Tezuka and Sanada were unlocked, they immediately sprinted towards the place Fuji and Yukimura were being kept followed by the rest of the teams.

Fuji and Yukimura were half awake thanks to the bullet clashing with the metal. Tezuka and Sanada hugged their respective teammate simultaneously, not caring if it wasn't like them to do so. The gesture surprised the other regulars for a moment before hugging their tensai and captain.

Somewhere behind them, a detective pushed the boss to sit on his knees besides the other three. Someone called for a couple more detectives and the paramedics. The four men were quickly handcuffed and informed that they were under arrest for aggravated kidnapping.

Their parents received a call half past twelve, an officer telling them that they had found their missing son and that the boys were to stay at Kyoto University Hospital. The adults quickly rushed out of bed ad began their five-hour journey south to greet their beloved children.

* * *

Fuji and Yukimura rode in the ambulance along with Tezuka, Oishi, Sanada, and Yanagi. The rest of the regulars rode in a detective's car while the four men, handcuffed, traveled in a police car.

Along the way, Fuji fell asleep, head on Tezuka's shoulder and Yukimura's head on Sanada's shoulder. Some of the paramedics asked about their time being locked up, if they were fed, how they were treated, etc.

They were able to answer most of the questions like how they were given two pieces of stale bread and a small bowl of broth to eat and two water bottles to drink per day and how Fuji, Yukimura, Marui, Momo, and Ryoma were starved. The only thing they couldn't answer was how the men treated Fuji and Yukimura. The two sleeping boys looked the worse; slight bruising on Fuji's face and Yukimura shivering and breathing heavily.

The paramedics took the two players' vitals. Fuji was fine while Yukimura suffered from a 38.3 degree celsius fever. Sanada slowly wrapped his arms around the frail looking Yukimura, resting the captain's head on his chest and pressing the shaking body close to his warm and safe one. He didn't care if others felt uncomfortable or surprised, right then and there, he wanted Yukimura healthy and happy again; he wanted to comfort Yukimura as much as he could.

Right across from them was Tezuka, who somehow managed to fall asleep as well, his head on Fuji's and both arms around the slender waist. Oishi looked rather out of place. His hands were folded on his lap as he glanced anywhere but towards the two cuddling couples. _I wish Eiji were here right now,_ Oishi thought. Yanagi didn't look as uncomfortable, but still… The data master was the only one on the team who knew Sanada's love for Yukimura; so, it didn't bother him when the Emperor suddenly became soft and unguarded.

* * *

The rest of the detectives searched the building and found seventeen tennis bags and seventeen cell phones stored in a drawer in another room. The bus they also rode in was found a quarter mile from the building. A detective snapped pictures of the cells, the gallow, the whips, and poles, as well as one cloth drenched in blood. Police tape surrounded the area as it was being investigated and articles were collected for the future trial.

Just by looking at them, some knew that the kids suffered quite a lot. A couple more days in the so called prison and who knows what could've happened.

* * *

Once they arrived at the hospital, Fuji and Yukimura were taken away for further treatment, much to Tezuka and Sanada's sadness. The rest of the regulars stayed at the hospital's recovery ward where they were fed generously. No one even hesitated to eat. They all dug in and ate like they haven't eaten in weeks. Marui, Momo, and Ryoma ate the fastest and the hungriest, obviously.

In the middle of their meal, an officer came in and explained the situation. Their parents were on their way and should arrive in three to four hours. The men had been captured and put under arrest, their belongings were found, and they were safe.

"You kids look like you've had a rough time there. When you finish eating, go on ahead and sleep. If you need anything, the nurses are here to help and so are we." They thanked the officer for his and the squad's help and finished eating.

By 1:30 in the morning, the regulars were asleep with the exception of Tezuka and Sanada. Tezuka's mind was too occupied by Fuji to even think about himself and what his body wanted. He turned around to face a wide-awake Sanada.

"Can't sleep?" Rikkai's vice-captain asked softly. Tezuka nodded. "Are you worried about Fuji?" Tezuka nodded again.

"What about you? Why aren't you asleep?" Sanada turned to glance up at the ceiling. Yukimura was written all over his face. "I see."

Silence lingered for a while before Sanada whispered, "You really love Fuji, don't you?"

Tezuka didn't look towards the other stoic player. "How do you know?"

"You look at him differently. Every time he's with you, you just brighten up. Of course, not everyone sees it. Just those close enough to you and those who empathize with you."

A small grin formed on Tezuka's face. "I thought I wasn't that obvious. I guess I'm not good at keeping my emotions to myself." The grin faltered as he remembered what he did to Fuji. "I'm not sure if he feels the same though."

Sanada looked at him questioningly. "What makes you say that?"

"Because of what I did to him." The grim look on the captain's face made the other boy recall the event.

"It wasn't like you had any other choice, though."

Even with Sanada's words, Tezuka still couldn't clear Fuji's painful screams out of his mind. "You may not have done what I did if it you and Yukimura. You love him too much."

Sanada's eyes widened. No one but Yanagi knew of his affection towards their captain. "You know?"

"I know. Everytime you see Yukimura, your mood shifts and you smile more often."

Sanada knew that was a fact. He knew himself that he changes whenever Yukimura was in the same room with him. But he was afraid of what his captain thought of him. Sure they've known eachother since they were kids, but he can't help wonder if Yukimura reciprocated his feelings. He sighed and turned over, his back facing Tezuka. What if the blue-haired boy didn't like him back? For a long time, the only thing keeping Sanada happy was his ability to play tennis. However, since Yukimura stepped into the picture, his priorities became mixed up. He loved tennis just as much as he loved Yukimura. Or did he love the captain more? Sanada was about to stab himself out of annoyance. He didn't want to think such complex thoughts, but his mind wouldn't have it.

Little did he know Tezuka was suffering from the same thing. With so much on their mind, the two boys drifted off into a deep, peaceful sleep.


	12. Freedom Day I Pt I

_Hi guys! Sorry it's late (it's almost midnight where I live) but I had a rather productive day today so I couldn't finish this chapter earlier! However, it's done so enjoy! I hope you do like this chapter, take some time to relax and enjoy some good ol' POT pairings. I hope it's not too terrible. Anyway, thank you guys so much for reading, following, favorite-ing (- idk, it's late, I'm tired, excuses excuses), and reviewing! You know I love those wonderful e-mails I get from :D You guys are the best! Love and all, AIR_

* * *

Around 6:30 in the morning, the hoard of parents crowded the hospital's main lobby. They wanted nothing more than to hug and kiss their sons again. The hospital staff told them that they were still sleeping and should not be visited until they have woken up. And since they were just saved from a kidnapping, the police needed to make sure they were the real parents of the regulars. A few parents didn't comply, but most showed an identification card and described their son or brother.

When they entered the recovery ward, the regulars were still fast asleep, just as the nurses said. The parents sat by their son's bedside, hugging them tightly to give them comfort and to tell them that it wasn't a dream, even if the gesture wasn't returned.

Yumiko glanced around the room and didn't see her little brother. The police had called them saying they found all seventeen players, so where was Fuji? Another couple stood not too far from them. The woman looked very similar to Yukimura while the man only had the captain's dark blue eyes.

"Fuji and Yukimura are still being treated." The nurse notified the boys' family members. "They should be in a recovery room in a little bit. The doctors still have to review their X-rays to make sure nothing is broken."

Fuji and Yukimura's families sighed in relief. Yumiko waltzed across the room to sit on the edge of Tezuka's bed. She gently laid a hand on top of the younger boy's and smiled softly. Tezuka wanted to cry. He thought he was going to. He didn't want to look at Fuji's sister; he didn't want her to see that he had caused her brother pain.

A few minutes later, a doctor stepped in holding a file folder in his hands. He announced to Yukimura's parents that their son was fine with a few gashes on his back and a small cut on his face. He, then, informed Fuji's family that their brother/son was okay with a few bruises and several slashes on his back, mostly from a whip. He pulled out two pictures from the folder. One was of an upside down star on a shoulder and the other a line down a wrist. Blood created the marks. Yumiko and Yoshiko both started to cry; Yuuta was disgusted that someone actually had the nerve to brand his older brother.

The doctor faced the rest of the boys, holding out the pictures and said, "Do any of you know how these got on Fuj's body?"

They turned their attention to the doctor and observed the images. Once they saw the line down Fuji's wrist, all eyes turned to Tezuka.

"No way." Yuuta growled under his breath. "Tezuka. You?" When Seigaku's captain didn't deny it, the younger brother scowled, "How dare you! How dare you do that to him!"

"Stop it Yuuta!" Yumiko grabbed her brother to keep him from attacking Tezuka.

"Let me go, nee-san! How can you protect someone like him? He and aniki have been friends since their first year and he goes and does that?"

"If that's the case, Tezuka wouldn't have done that on a whim. He must've had a good reason to hurt Syusuke." Yumiko tried to reason with her youngest brother. Since Yuuta and Fuji became closer, Yuuta also started to look after Syusuke's well being, just like how his aniki was protective of him.

"It was either that or a bullet through Yukimura's head." Marui said softly.

Now it made more sense. "Yuuta, you know as much as I do that Syusuke doesn't care what happens to him as long as his friends are safe. Try not to be angry with Tezuka; he had no other choice." Yuuta relaxed a bit and apologized to his brother's best friend.

After thirty minutes, the doctors came back saying both Yukimura and Fuji were fine with no internal damage. The two shared a recovery room since the regulars occupied the ward and the hospital didn't have another vacant room.

The parents visited first. The room was large enough for two beds and a curtain ran halfway through the middle of the room for privacy. Fuji's bed was closest to the door while Yukimura's stayed behind the curtain by the window. Both players woke up with the same feeling: hunger. A couple of nurses brought in a simple meal as a filler while a family member went out to buy the two real food.

Fuji was really happy to see his mom, brother, and sister. Yuuta barged in the room and immediately fell in his brother's arms, not caring about the other people's thoughts on him. He missed his brother terribly and worried about him consistently when he disappeared. Fuji welcomed the loving atmosphere of his family.

Yukimura enjoyed the warm welcome of his mother, hugging her tightly while trying to calm her crying down. She had been so anxious about her son's safety and health she slowly started neglecting hers. He reunited with his father once he came back with a large selection of delicacies for both him and Fuji.

The two ate even faster and more ravenously than Marui, Momo, and Ryoma. They remembered that they hadn't eaten in nearly three days. Yukimura didn't care if some of the food's taste wasn't his cup of tea; it was still food. Their family watched in amusement as the two boys finished their meals rather quickly.

An hour later, the regulars stopped by to see how their teammate was coping. Eiji quickly wrapped his arms around Fuji and cried out, "Fuji! I missed you!"

Fuji returned the acrobatic player's hug, his usual smile on his face. "I missed you too, Eiji. How are you guys?"

Oishi took the chair beside the bed. "We're fine, now. No major injuries."

"We're just happy you're okay, Fuji-senpai." Momo smiled. They had to admit, they missed the tensai's smile so much.

While the Seigaku Regualrs caught up, Rikkaidai's players interacted with their captain. Kirihara was the first to run up and hug Yukimura.

"Buchou!" The junior simply leaped forward, arms outstretched, and entangled them around Yukimura's shoulders.

"Good morning, everyone." He smiled lightly to the team, glad none of them were hurt.

Yanagi stepped forward, holding a bouquet of white and orange lilies. "Genichirou picked these out for you."

Yukimura contentedly accepted the flowers and smile gratefully at Sanada. The stoic boy blushed and glanced away, wishing so dearly he had his hat to cover his face.

"Lillium. Thank you." Sanada just nodded in response.

He watched from the corner of his eye, Yukimura holding on to the bouquet of flowers while talking to the team. He knew their captain fancied plants and thought it'd brighten up his day, even if it just lasted for a minute.

* * *

Rikkaidai's players were the first to leave with the exception of Sanada. Then, the Seigaku regulars left, following Fuji's request to be alone so that he and Tezuka could talk one on one. The stoic boy wanted to leave with the others, but he couldn't say no to Fuji's wishes.

When it was just the two of them on the other side of the curtain, Fuji asked, "Are you mad at me, Tezuka? You don't seem to want to be here at the moment." Tezuka didn't meet those bright blue eyes. How could he after what he did? "Tezuka?"

"I'm sorry."

"What?"

"I'm sorry, Fuji. For what I did. I didn't mean it. I- I had no other choice. I mean… maybe I had another way out of it, but I couldn't think and I- I don't blame you if you hate me. Hate me all you want, honest I deserve it… " Fuji didn't think Tezuka could be so lost for words. _That_ was bothering him? He thought Seigaku's captain knew him better.

Tezuka rambled on and on for a minute before feeling something touching his lips. His eyes widened after realizing it was Fuji's lips on his. Everything stilled when Fuji pulled back.

"Forgive me. It was the only way to shut you up." The words weren't apologetic. It sounded rather annoyed or tired. "Tezuka, I could never hate you." A genuine smile formed on the smaller boy's lips. "Because... I love you."

Tezuka's eyes widened. Fuji loved him? Without much of a thought, Seigaku's number one player, famous for always looking serious, dropped his guard and leaned in to give his angel another kiss.

On the other side, Yukimura and Sanada tuned out the conversation shared by Fuji and Tezuka. They were in their own world. Sanada glanced down to see tears brimming in Yukimura's eyes. Their captain still clutched onto the flowers, a faint grin on his face. Sanada remembered those times in the hospital visiting Yukimura. He didn't want to see the Child of God back in a white room next to beeping machines again. He didn't want to see Yukimura sick and a bit frightened, though the blue-haired boy refused to show it.

Sanada lay a hand on the other boy's shoulder, startling him a bit. He met the dark blue eyes of Seiichi Yukimura before saying, "It's alright. You can let it out now."

"S-Sanada?" His voice whispered. One by one, tears fell from those beautiful eyes and onto the petals of the lilies.

Yukimura cried helplessly, burying his face in Sanada's chest. He refused to admit it, but he had been terrified for the past eight days. The vice-captain enveloped the smaller form in a tight, safe and loving embrace.

Sanada hid his face in Yukimura's hair. "I love you… Seiichi."


	13. Freedom Day I Pt II

_Hi guys! So I'm here kind of early compared to yesterday and I hope you like this chapter because it was one of my favorites to write! I hope you like the pairings and what not. This fic is almost over and that makes me kind of sad. Good things have to come to an end I guess... If you got any ideas for anything cute and fluffy the pairings can do, lemme know 'cause I'm terrible at writing cute things. Well thank you guys for stopping by and reading! I appreciate all your love and support! Love and all, AIR_

* * *

Twelve hours after being rescued, the regulars have slowly begun to regain their sanity. Most of the players were okay to leave the hospital and head back to Tokyo or Kanagawa. But since most of them were still asleep, the parents left to fetch some food and other necessities for the trip.

Half an hour later, one by one, they started to wake. Two beds still remained vacant. Tezuka and Sanada still hadn't come back from Fuji and Yukimura's room. Not that any of them minded. Soon, their parents returned with their child's favorite food and the whole gang ate lively, like nothing bad ever happened.

Since all thirteen regulars in the recovery ward were heading home, they decided to say goodbye to their number one and two players. Seigaku's regulars, with Oishi leading the way walked into a brick wall, not literally of course.

It's just the moment they stepped in the room, they hadn't expected to see Tezuka and Fuji sleeping on the same bed cuddling eachother. Tezuka lay on his side, his arms around his angel, and Fuji's face resting against Tezuka's chest. They were too cute! At least in Eiji's mind. Everyone else flushed heavily; they felt like they walked in on them making out or something. Rikkaidai entered the room a few seconds later and stopped to observe Seigaku's players before making their way to the other side of the curtain.

Yukimura's parents had bought the team two bar cakes. Marui ate one of those cakes. The other, the decided, should be for their captain and Sanada. Marui gasped and nearly dropped the box with the cake inside after seeing their teammates.

Sanada and Yukimura were in a similar position as Tezuka and Fuji, except Yukimura's head snuggled on the crook of Sanada's neck and one of the vice-captain's hands rested against the blue hair. The team let the scene sink in before turning around and leaving. Yanagi had a faint smile on his face while the rest of the regulars looked really embarrassed. Seigaku followed them out, not wanting to disturb the two couples' time together, even if they were sleeping.

* * *

A cold touch ran up Fuji's arm, disrupting his sweet peaceful slumber. His blue eyes snapped open and quickly glanced to his left. A couple nurses were inside, one held Fuji's arm down and pointed a needle towards the bend of the elbow. Fuji would be okay with this, if he didn't have any bad memories of needles touching his skin. His mind switched to panic mode as he yanked his arm away. The nurse tried telling him he was just going to give him some medication and moved to grab the boy's arm again.

"No." Fuji freed himself from Tezuka's grasp, causing the other boy to wake up.

"What's going on here?" He adjusted his glasses to see one of the nurse trying to stop Fuji's movement so he can inject something in the smaller boy's arm. Another nurse held down Fuji's forearm and it made the tensai react violently.

Tezuka slipped of the bed and tried to calm him down while another nurse restricted Fuji's other arm. Fear filled those beautiful sapphire eyes. There was nothing to see but fear.

"No! Please don't! S-stop it! I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" Tezuka hated seeing Fuji traumatized.

"Syusuke, it's okay. They're not going to brand you. They just want to give you some medicine so you can get better faster." Fuji's eyes widened as Tezuka's hand came closer to his face.

He let out a sharp scream that woke Yukimura and Sanada. "Don't hurt me, please!"

Sanada released Yukimura from his grasp and let him see what made Fuji scream like he was being killed.

Yukimura watched as three nurses held Fuji down, one of the staff still held a needle and it clicked to Rikkai's captain on why the younger form refused to be restrained.

"Stop it." Yukimura commanded, standing at the foot of the bed. "Let him go." The nurses were hesitant, but slowly released their grip. "Don't ever hold him like that again."

Fuji immediately scrambled forward and tightly draped his arms around Yukimura's torso. Yukimura was always there to comfort him whenever the men punished Fuji. He wanted Yukimura's comfort, he needed Yukimura's comfort.

Tezuka watched uneasily and with a twinge of jealousy as Fuji hugged the other boy. He secretly wanted Fuji to hug him and he wanted comfort Fuji instead of the blue-haired boy. Sanada watched, too, with the same look as Tezuka.

Fuji's crying slowly subsided as Yukimura's hand ran through the soft brown hair and his voice hummed a familiar melody. It was the same one he always sung to Fuji in the cell. Fuji let himself relax and in the caring touch of Rikkai's captain. The memories faded and the cries finally stopped.

Yukimura pulled back, wiping the remaining tears away. "Better?" Fuji nodded. "Good. Now, they're not going to hurt you so there's no need to worry, okay?" He nodded again. "Alright." Yukimura motioned for one of the nurse to hurry up and give Fuji whatever it was he needed.

The pain lasted for three seconds before the all of the fluid spread through out the small body. The nurses thanked Yukimura and let Tezuka take over, noticing the glare from the Seigaku's captain.

After making sure Fuji was fine, the nurses checked on Yukimura to see if his fever lowered. It dropped back down to 37.2 degree celsius after a day of just sleeping and eating. They recommended more rest so he could leave early tomorrow morning. They also informed the four players that their team would be departing for Tokyo or Kanagawa in a couple of hours since they were okay. Fuji was happy everybody else was fine and nothing too bad happened to any of them.

Once the nurses left, the two couples resumed their cuddling, but stayed awake. The incident with Fuji occupied Tezuka's mind for the time being.

Fuji noticed the distant look in Tezuka's eyes. "Something wrong?"

The sound of his angel's voice broke his train of thought. He glanced down to meet a pair of blue eyes. "Huh? Oh. No. I'm fine. I was just thinking, that's all." Tezuka softly kissed Fuji's forehead, pulling him in closer. "Go to sleep." Fuji nodded as he let his body fall into a deep trance no one but Tezuka could wake him from.

* * *

The regulars decided to leave at three in the afternoon. They wanted to say goodbye to their teammate, but the four players were passed out and they didn't want to wake them up.

Yukimura, Sanada, Fuji, and Tezuka's parents found nearby hotels to stay at for the night. Their family brought over meals and spent some time with their children. Yumiko wouldn't let Fuji go and her little brother continued to tease Yuuta in front of Tezuka and his parents and grandfather. Though Tezuka didn't show much emotion, around his grandfather, he was different. He smiled more often. Fuji knew he had a close relationship with the older man. He just didn't get why Tezuka's grandpa stared at him like Fuji was some kind of threat.

On the other side, Yukimura and Sanada's family interacted. Sanada was relieved to know his nephew wasn't around; for, he didn't know how to handle the kid in Yukimura's presence.

Sanada and Tezuka were expected to stay at the hotel with their family, but they refused. The room lacked space for all nine people to stay in, but the bed was big enough for two people. The parents got the hint. Fuji's family knew about his love for Tezuka and the same goes for Tezuka's family. Yukimura's parents knew their son loved Sanada very much and vice versa.

"Shall I go grab you a box of condoms for you boys before we go?" Yumiko asked teasingly. Tezuka's family heavily blushed.

"N-nee-san!" Fuji's face reddened at his sister's comment.

Yumiko just laughed and kissed her brother's forehead. "Goodnight, Syusuke, Tezuka. We'll see you in the morning."

The families prepared themselves to leave since visiting hours were almost over. Before Yumiko left, she tossed Fuji a deck of cards.

"In case you kids get bored." Fuji smiled and bid his family goodbye and goodnight.

Since the boys weren't tired yet, they decided to play a card game. Sanada and Tezuka, however, would much rather shower their beloveds with attention and affection.

So, they played on Yukimura's bed with Rikkai's captain sitting on Sanada's lap facing Fuji who sat on Tezuka's lap. They played several rounds of baba-nuki (old maid); Yukimura had terrible luck and refused to give up until he won atleast one round.

Sanada grinned softly at his Seiichi losing for the sixth time in a row. He wrapped his arms around the boy's waist and rested his chin on Yukimura's shoulder.

Across the bed, Tezuka also held on to Fuji, but his chin rested on top of the brown hair instead. Fuji was really short in comparison to the three of them. Sanada also grinned at that.

"Doesn't that make him seem more uke?" Yukimura whispered. Sanada retracted his head, a confused look on his face as well as the other couple. "Fuji's short compared to us, but I think Tezuka finds it cute because it makes him look easier to dominate, right?"

Tezuka blushed furiously, hiding somewhat embarrassed behind Fuji. Yukimura snickered as he picked a card from Fuji's hand. Joker. A frown formed on his face as Fuji won, again.

The blue-eyed boy smiled. "Well then, I guess we now know the Child of God isn't very good at card games."


	14. Freedom Day II

_Hi guys! So this is like the shortest chapter out of the story mostly b/c it's filled w/ dialogue and not much happens here. In fact, I don't even know why I wrote this one... Oh well..._

 _By the way, the song mentioned is from a wonderful anime called Strawberry Panic and it's called Ketakaki yuri no and it's not mine. You'll see what I mean when you get there. I hope you like it! Love and all, AIR_

* * *

By morning, the parents were already in the room with a spare change of clothes and other toiletries the boys needed. Fuji showered first. While he was cleaning up, Tezuka's mother softly asked her son, "Kunimitsu, you and Fuji didn't do it last night did you?"

Tezuka looked irritated and a bit offended. "Mother, you and I both know Syusuke and I are too young to be doing those kinds of activities. And that Yumiko enjoys teasing other people just like her younger brother." He whispered back in response.

Ayana sighed in relief. "I was just making sure."

"Of course you were."

Tezuka couldn't help but stare at Fuji when he stepped out of the bathroom. He looked like an angel wearing a white button up shirt tucked in a pair of black jeans tightened with a black belt. Fuji noticed a weird expression on his lovely captain's face.

"Nee-san, this looks almost like our summer school uniform." Fuji pouted.

"Yes, but I think Tezuka finds it quiet attractive." She also noted the strange look on the other boy's face. It was the look of pure admiration.

Fuji smiled sadistically. "Is that so?" He crawled across the bed and gave Tezuka a quick kiss.

"Your turn." Tezuka nodded, blushing a bit knowing his parents and grandfather saw his boyfriend's little stunt.

As Fuji finished tidying his look up, he caught a glance of Tezuka's grandfather. He still had on that disgusted look in his eyes. What'd Fuji every do to him?

When Tezuka finished, it was Yukimura's turn to freshen up. Fuji stood next to Tezuka who was folding his dirty clothes on the counter.

"Kunimitsu?" Fuji started. "Why does your grandfather look at me like that?"

Tezuka glanced over his shoulder to see the older man's glare towards his boyfriend. A faint grin appeared on his face. "Oh. He's just jealous."

Now that was a surprise. "Jealous? Of me?"

"Mhm. You took me away from him and he doesn't like that." Tezuka explained as he finished folding his clothes.

"Oh." Fuji found it sweet that Tezuka's grandfather can be jealous.

"Don't take it personally. It won't last long. He actually really likes you."

Fuji had met Tezuka's grandfather many times. And they've shared some good conversations in the past. Soon enough, Kunikazu lost interest in glaring down Fuji until the boy cried and begged for mercy, so he interacted with Sanada's grandfather instead.

Sanada couldn't help but admire Yukimura once the captain entered the room. He wore a dark blue long sleeve shirt with tan cargo pants. His hair was a bit straight since he just came from the shower.

Yukimura's mother observed the look Sanada gave her son. "Suits him perfectly, don't you think?"

Sanada was stunned to hear his Seiichi's mom say what he thought. "Oh… I –uh… mmm…" He couldn't lie and deny it; it'd make it seem like he didn't find Yukimura attractive. She softly smiled, making Sanada look away in embarrassment.

A couple hours later, the four remaining players were about to leave when their parents received an e-mail from the Kyoto police department.

"They want you guys to attend the trial." Yumiko announced. "To help the judge decide how long the four men stay in prison for."

They didn't want to go. Tezuka and Sanada didn't know how well they could keep their cool before wanting to rip the men's heads off.

"We're not going." Tezuka rebelled.

"But Kunimitsu, it says you're required to go. Fuji, Yukimura, and the rest of the teams have to attend." His mother pointed out.

"No. I'm not going and I'm not letting Syusuke go either." Fuji found it cute how protective Tezuka was getting, but could you blame him? Those men hurt his angel and he knew he wasn't going to able to keep his composure around them.

"Sorry, son, but you and your team along with Rikkaidai are going." Tezuka lost the battle. It wouldn't matter how much he protested going to the trial, his parents would always win because in Tezuka's world, listening to your elders was important.

It was decided, no matter how much they refused to attend, the seventeen regulars were to appear before a jury and tell their side of the story of what happened in those cells for eight days.

* * *

Travelling back to Kanagawa was going to take almost three hours. Sanada rode with Yukimura's parents to keep his captain company. He sat behind the driver's seat with Yukimura sitting beside him in the middle. Their hands entwined and Yukimura's head on his shoulder, a joyful grin on the captain's face.

"Sanada," the vice-captain frowned. He called Yukimura by his first name when he confessed his feelings, so why couldn't the other boy call him Genichirou? "Out of habit, sorry." Yukimura smiled. Was Sanada really that easy to read? "Can you do me a favor?"

"It depends on what you want." Sanada knew Yukimra. He knew that sometimes his "favor" wasn't always so innocent or kind to other people.

He felt the shorter boy's lips close to his ear. "Can you sing me a song?"

That caught him off guard. Yukimura wanted him to sing? In front of his parents? "Seiichi I-"

"Please? Akaya said you sang for Tezuka during the Junior selection camp, so why can't you sing for me?" He glanced down to meet those deep blue beautiful eyes. Damn Yukimura for being irresistible.

Sanada sighed in defeat and thought of a song he could sing. Then, softly, he began to intone melodiously:

 _Ketakaki yuri no shiro no gotoku_

 _Kushiki bara no beni no gotoku_

 _Aoba no nobe no midori no gotoku_

 _Ten no kisaki wa uruwashiku emu_

 _Hikari kagayaku warera nomi haha_

 _Yowaki na ga kora wo mamori tamae_

 _Sae kooru yo no yami no ue ni_

 _Shirube naki hi no oounabara_

 _Kiri fukaki chi no mori no uchi ni_

 _Otome no hoshi ga kagayaki kanou_

 _Kiyoki misao nomi haha no hoshi ni_

 _Koe wo awasete inori tsukaen_

Sanada couldn't believe he sang the entire thing in front of Yukimura's parents. He didn't care if they thought he wasn't in tune; all the words filled with passion and love were directed to his one and only beside him. Yukimura smiled in satisfaction. He knew Sanada and his music class was pretty popular in school. Now, he couldn't wait to see what other songs Sanada can sing to him if he would ever be in a bad mood. With a voice like that, all the girls in Rikkaidai would be begging at Sanada's feet. Too bad he doesn't swing that way, Yukimura thought happily.

* * *

The fifteen regulars who left a day earlier finally settled in their normal lives. They spent most of the time reuniting with their families and reassuring them almost every single minute that they were okay. A certain someone's reunion with his beloved cat became the most dramatic reunion ever, at least in his dad's eyes.

Their parents also received an e-mail explaining the importance of the regulars' attendance in the upcoming trial. None of them wanted to see the four bastards that hurt their precious captain and tensai, but they needed to make sure the men wouldn't have another chance to commit a similar crime in the future.

Coach Ryuzaki visited the Seigaku regulars one at a time to apologize to the boys and their families for not being able to look after their sons. She visited Oishi last, knowing the honest vice-captain would answer all of her questions.

The two of them sat in Oishi's living room with his parents giving them privacy.

"Not all of us were hurt. It was just Fuji and Yukimura. I don't know how they were punished, but by the time the police saved us, they looked like they've been abused quite badly."

"I see." Coach Ryuzaki sighed, folding her arms. "Anything significant happen?"

Oishi's eyes widened a bit, not wanting to recall the memory. "I'm afraid you're going to have to ask Tezuka about it, sensei. It's not my place to tell you."

"Very well."

"By the way, sensei, how did the police find us? I mean, I was sure we'd die there. How'd they know where to look?" During their time in the recovery ward, Niou never once admitted to being the one who most likely just saved their lives. Yanagi didn't tell anyone either.

"I believe that one player that toyed with Kikumaru was the one that got a hold of a cellphone the detectives could track."

"Niou?" It all started to come together now. That was Niou's plan; he didn't want to risk escaping, so he let them get saved. It was dangerous, but brilliant at the same time.

So all of them owed Niou their lives. For the time being.


	15. Trial Pt I

_Hi guys! So this chapter was kind of a pain to write. Mostly because i don't know the justice system or how a trial is carried out. Law ins't my forte. But I did a little bit of research about crimes and what not so it's kind of (that might be and overstatement) accurate? Maybe. Japan may have different laws; however, since I am more familiar w/ America's laws, I just wrote it according to the way the trial may be held here in the states. And also how I see trials being held in movies. So if you see any inaccuracies, sorry._

 _I may have mentioned that there are only two chapters left... I lied. Maybe three more (including this one so two more. Wow that's confusing) Let's just say I'll end this in or seventeen chapters, the last one being super short. I was debating on whether or not to write an epilogue where Fuji, Tezuka, Sanada, and Yukimura go on a double date... but we'll see. Long rant, my bad, enjoy! Love and all, AIR_

* * *

Two weeks passed and the trial was to be held at Kyoto nine-thirty in the morning. Before that day, the regulars took a week off of school and resumed the following week. Their team welcomed them back in an extravagant fashion. Prior to heading back to Kyoto, the regulars' parents decided to book a suite in a hotel so they had a place to stay for the next three to four days. Going back and forth to the Justice building and their house was too much.

Rikkaidai's players arrived at the hotel first followed by Seigaku's half an hour later. The room consisted of a small kitchen, a large living room-like space decorated with a couch and a TV, two rooms with two queen beds, two bathrooms, and a balcony looking over the city. It was a pretty good sized suite. The living room space was big enough for all seventeen players to sleep in at night. The parents wanted the teams to figure out who gets the beds which day, but the boys decided it'd be more fun sleeping by eachother on the floor.

At eight-thirty, they headed towards the courthouse. Already, crowds of news stations gathered near the entrance. The moment the regulars stepped out of their vehicles, camera flashes lit up their faces. Some found it annoying and disturbing while others, like Eiji, enjoyed the attention.

Once inside, an employee informed them that the trial wouldn't be starting for another hour, but they should prepare themselves and think about what to say when asked what happened during the days the regulars were locked up. They waited in one of the lounges, trying so hard not to remember any of those memories. School distracted them from having any bad thoughts, but not the courthouse.

Tezuka sat beside Fuji who had a distant look to him. When he held the smaller boy's hand, he didn't move. "Syusuke?"

Fuji snapped back into reality. "Hmm?"

"Are you feeling aright?"

Fuji just nodded with a small smile. He turned to Yukimura, who sat next to him, and gave Rikkai's captain a sad gaze. Out of all them, they were the ones who had it worse.

Half an hour before the trial commenced, a prosecution lawyer ushered them out into the courtroom that already started to fill with the public. Their seats were right behind a desk on the right near the chairs for the jury. Two other lawyers sat in front of them organizing papers.

As the clock ticked forward, more people gathered. Some of the jury seated themselves and policemen appeared one by one. Coach Ryuzaki had arrived as well, sitting beside Oishi in the second row. Ten minutes before the trial, the regulars' hearts began pounding. In ten minutes, they'd see their kidnappers again, meet those cold grueling eyes, and remember all the harsh things done to their teammates.

Nine-thirty, the doors to the courtroom closed, everyone seated themselves, the jury entered, and the door by the judge's bench opened. Four men dressed in dark green jumpsuit and handcuffs entered. The boys' bodies tensed seeing the familiar faces. Fuji locked eyes with the green eyed man and suddenly grasped Tezuka's hand. The two most emotionless players even looked anxious at the sight of the four men.

Once the judge entered, the trial began.

* * *

"Please state your full name."

"Sumire Ryuzaki."

"And what was your role during the incident?"

"I am Seishun Gauken's tennis coach. I was also acting as the boys' chaperone and guardian for the trip."

"And what was the last thing you remember before waking up in the hospital?"

"We were driving down a dark road when I caught a glimpse of two vehicles. I immediately stopped and I was afraid we were going to hit them because it was raining hard that day. I decided to check on what was going on, so I go out there and I saw four figures. I remember a cloth over my face and I woke up."

The prosecutor pointed towards the four men. "Them?"

"I don't know. I never saw their faces."

* * *

"When you first got there, what was the first thing they made you do?"

"They told us to pick two players, one from each team. They were the ones to receive the punishments if the other players did anything wrong." Oishi answered.

"Did you choose or did they volunteer?"

"Yukimura and Fuji volunteered, though others wanted to take their place."

"What happened after that?"

"They were put in another room while we were divided in pairs and one group of three."

"Were you or anyone else in that cell block injured?"

"No, sir."

"Was it just those two who volunteered that got injured?"

"Yes, sir."

* * *

Yukimura was next to take the stand. "These men are charged with aggravated kidnapping. That crime includes holding another person for ransom, inflicting bodily injuries or violate or abuse them sexually. Were you kids held for ransom?"

"Yes, sir."

"For how much?"

"Our parents had one week to give them ten million yen for each of us."

"Ten million yen?"

"At first." He remembered the boss raising the price since they were 'special.' "Their leader knew we were Japan's number one and two tennis teams so he deemed us valuable. He then asked for twenty million."

"Can you please point out who their leader is?"

Yukimura scanned the row of men. He met eyes with the one at the end with the neatly trimmed brown hair. "That one, sir."

The prosecutor followed the boy's stare. "I see. Did they also violate or abuse you sexually?"

A slight hesitation occurred before the boy answered, "They only physically hurt me."

"Tell me, what happened to you during those eight days in the other side of the door."

"Define a specific scenario."

"When your teammates did something wrong, what happened to you?"

He took a deep breath and answered, "They mostly whipped us."

"They whipped you?"

"Yes, sir."

"What else?"

"They starved us for nearly four days."

"And?"

"They.. umm.. they often threatened to kill me."

"For example?"

"One of them put a knife next to my head and another pointed a gun towards me." To Yukimura, those were some of the worst memories he had. Not only did he think he was going to die, but he had to watch Tezuka hurt Fuji.

"Was there an incident that triggered this action?"

Yukimura took a deep breath. "You're going to have to ask my friend about that, sir."

* * *

"Between you and Yukimura, you suffered the most, Fuji?'

"I guess." Fuji responded plainly.

The lawyer frowned in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"I really don't care what happens to me as long as my teammates were fine."

"According to hospital records, you have over seventy slashes on your back from a whip, a mark on your shoulder blade and one on your wrist. How'd you get those?"

Fuji glanced down at his lap, nervously playing with his hands. "They whipped me twice when my friends didn't meet the men's expectations. The second time they lashed me, Yukimura interfered, so they took a hot needle and branded me."

"They branded you with a sewing needle?"

"Yes, sir."

"It wasn't the only time either, I would assume."

"No, sir. The second time, our captain did it." Tezuka stiffened; he did not want to hear Fuji talk about the time he hurt his angel. Fuji told the lawyer about why five of them were starved and what happened when the team tried to give three of them some food. "One of them started beating me up."

"Can you point out who?"

Fuji was only going to take a quickly glance, but the moment he met Isana's eyes, his body froze in fear. It took nearly all his strength to break the stare. "H-he did."

The lawyer also noticed the cold and lustful stare Isana gave to Fuji. "Then what happened?"

"He forced Tezuka to brand me until I bled. If he didn't, they were going to shoot Yukimura."

"And you agreed to it?"

Fuji fixed his eyes upon the man. "As I've stated before, I don't care what happens to me as long as they're okay."

* * *

The trial for that day lasted three hours. They questioned doctors, policemen, detectives, and other regulars to see their point of view. The trial would commence again the next day, same place, same time. The regulars were just happy to get out and leave the presence of their captors.

Outside, the media snapped pictures of them as they left. Eiji almost didn't want to leave.

* * *

They ate at a hamburger restaurant, a request from Momo and Ryoma, for lunch, though Sanada and Tezuka didn't like the idea of eating unhealthy. But, since it was only for that day, they could let it slide. Plus, Fuji and Yukimura second the two underclassmen's vote. And Tezuka and Sanada couldn't say no to those puppy-eyes.

Momo and Ryoma ordered five double cheeseburgers with two large fries, and soda or shake. The others were mesmerized by how much they could eat. Tezuka and Fuji shared a cheeseburger and vanilla shake; Yukimura and Sanada also shared a meal and Marui ordering three large strawberry milkshakes to satisfy his sweet tooth.

They occupied most of the chairs in the small restaurant while the two couples sat on the bar stools by the window. As they ate, Tezuka noticed a piece of bread on the corner of Fuji's lips. He gently brushed off the crumb, earning a sweet smile from the tensai.

After lunch, the regulars walked around the city, distracting their minds off of the trial. They mostly window-shopped and played recreational tennis before dinner rolled around. Fuji snapped several pictures of his friends and Rikkai's players. He was glad Yumiko decided to bring his camera along. Most of them were pictures of Sanada being soft and fluffy around Yukimura and Tezuka.

Ten o'clock, the parents ordered their kids to go to sleep since the trial next day started early. They laid out blankets on the carpet floor and extra pillows the hotel provided. Yagyuu slept on the couch while the others spread themselves out, making sure no one was close enough to be kicked.

Marui and Kirihara fell asleep with their heads bumping eachother, Jackal sleeping next to Marui and Yanagi next to Kirihara. The four of them lined up perpendicular to the wall. On the other hand, Seigaku's regulars slept diagonally or askew compared to Rikkai's regulars. Fuji's head leaned against Tezuka's shoulder. Yukimura and Sanada seemed like they didn't care what others thought about them sleeping in each other's arms. Yukimura's head lay on Sanada's chest and one of the taller boy's arm wrapped around the captain's waist.

In the middle of the night, when every one had fallen into a deep slumber, Yumiko captured a picture of the regulars, making sure everyone was visible including her brother and Tezuka and Yukimura and Sanada.


	16. Trial Pt II Freedom Day XVIII

_Hi guys! So this is the last big chapter of the story and I'm kind of sad. It was fun to write and I hope you had fun reading it! I have started to work on other ideas for my next project and I wanted to know what you guys want to read next. So here are the three ideas I got:  
a) an epilogue for this story w/ alpha pair and perfect pair_

 _b) a perfect pair story where Fuji and Tezuka are in high school_

 _c) prince of tennis with a K project plot. If you don't know what K project is, it's just a bunch of clans and kings and one guy trying to prove his innocence and the whole anime is too much to summarize in a sentence. But I think it's kind of cool._

 _So if you have a preference, let me know or I'm just going to be inactive for a while because classes are starting in a week :(  
_

 _Btw, sorry for the rushed scene. I kinda wanted to get this over with and again, blanked out while writing this chapter. So sorry. But, I hope you enjoy it! Thanks so much to those who review and favorite and follow! You're the greatest:) Love and all, AIR_

* * *

Nobody looked forward to going back in the courthouse. People with cameras still crowded the entrance snapping pictures of the boys as they left their vehicles, trying to ask questions but eventually getting ignored. The regulars just wanted to get it over with so they could all move on.

The following day's trial, the defendants lawyer asked Yukimura to the stand again.

"You said the other day, that Isana was the one who carried out most of the physical assault?"

"Yes, sir."

"What about the others?"

"For the first couple of days we didn't know who was hurting us, but after we saw their faces, the man with green eyes executed most of punishments."

"And what about the others?"

"The one sitting next to their leader was the one who threatened to kill me and also lashed Fuji and I. The other one only whipped us once. Their boss was the one who planned the ordeal out and decided to sell the team to other people who can pay."

"Do you believe all five of them should receive the same sentence?"

"Yes, sir."

* * *

The prosecution lawyers mostly questioned the men and their motive. Most of the men pleaded guilty and told the truth, their stories matching up with the regulars said the day before. However, when Isana took the stand, everything seemed to change.

"So, you're the leader of the three?"

"Yes, sir."

"I assume you heard their testimonies?"

The man looked at the lawyer like he was crazy. "I am seated right beside them, sir. Of course I heard."

"Just making sure." He scanned a few papers on the desk in front of the regulars. "Now, do you remember the testimonies of the two boys you supposedly punished?"

"Yes, sir."

"How you're the one that mostly whipped them, and beat them, and branded them?"

"I also almost raped him as well, sir."

Gasps filled the room as the regulars quickly shifted their gaze on Fuji. Tezuka's eyes widened at the news. He wasn't aware that that incident happened, and frankly, he didn't want to believe it; but, after seeing Yukimura's face, the man wasn't lying.

"Almost?"

"The boss stopped me before I could."

"The boy didn't say anything about anything sexual happening to him, why do you think so?"

"He's probably scared."

The lawyer took a quick glance at Fuji who looked like he was going to cry. "And why would you try and rape a boy fifteen years younger than you?"

A vicious smile appeared on the man's face. "Have you ever tried resisting a beautiful creature in this world, sir? It's difficult, right?" He met Tezuka's dangerous glare. He spoke his next words while keeping his eyes on Seigaku's captain. "When I like something, I like to take it away. It gives me a thrill that nothing else in this world can offer me. It's like a drug; it only takes one time to get addicted."

If it weren't for the fact that they were in a courthouse and ten policemen surrounded them, Tezuka would've just tackled Isana down and beat him senseless. The lawyer nodded and continued on with his interrogation.

After all said and done, it was time for the jury to make their decision. It took them just over four hours to make their decision. One handed the bailiff an envelope with their verdict.

"Will the defendants please rise." The five men stood up. "We, the jury, find Saruhiko Ibuki, Tomoya Izumi, Yuzuru Isana, and Natsuki Ichinose guilty of aggravated kidnapping sentencing to forty years in prison."

The regulars sighed in relief after knowing that their kidnappers won't be causing any more trouble in the near future. The police officers lead the five men out of the courtroom and the judge dismissed the case.

The cameras never stopped flashing outside. Many of the stations and magazines tried asking the regulars some questions, but their parents just hurried them towards their vehicles.

* * *

They checked out of their hotel and asked their parents if they can find some tennis courts to play on. They wanted to some time to recover from the trial and calm their thoughts. Especially Tezuka, who still hadn't shaken off the words and the stares he received from Isana.

After finding some empty street tennis courts, twelve regulars played doubles, four played singles and one waited his turn. Tezuka and Fuji played against Momo and Ryoma who still can't play doubles, not even against a makeshift pair. Sanada and Yukimura played Kirihara and Yanagi, the Golden Pair against Marui and Jackal, Niou versus Yagyuu, and Inui versus Kaidou with Taka sitting out for the moment.

During the match with Momo and Ryoma, Fuji couldn't concentrate. Most of his mind slipped into the memories of the courthouse, the words of Isana ringing in his ears. _It only takes one time to get addicted._ Fuji was so focused on those words his racquet flew out of his hands as he tried to return Momo's serve. Tezuka gave him a worried look.

"Syusuke? Is something wrong?"

Fuji shook his head. "Time out for a moment. Taka, you can play if you want." Fuji and Taka switched places, Momo and Ryoma taking a beating from their number one power player.

Yukimura noticed his Seigaku counterpart and excused himself from his match.

"Something on your mind?" Fuji glanced up to see Yukimura walking towards him.

"You can say so." Rikkai's captain sat himself down on the bench next to Fuji. "I don't know. Maybe I'm just getting anxious for nothing."

Yukimura studied the saddened sapphire eyes and slowly put a hand on top of Fuji's. The smaller boy quickly turned to look at him. "You're safe now. No one's going to hurt us anymore." He whispered calmly.

Fuji grinned in return. "I know." He placed his other hand on Yukimura's soft one. "Thank you for taking care of me."

"Come on, we both know we took care of eachother. We've gotten along quite well during these past three weeks. I'm glad."

"And it only took us one near death experience. How nice is that?" Fuji and Yukimura chuckled at how true it was. "It's too bad we couldn't go to the mountains, though. I was kind of excited for it."

"So was I. Maybe we can go some other time?"

"How about after graduation? Tezuka plans on going to Germany after we graduate. I think it would be a nice trip. It won't be as cold, but it'll work. We'll go on a day when there's no rain or anything just to be safe."

Yukimura agreed. "Sounds like a plan. Well then, how about a game?"

Fuji didn't know if he can win against Yukimura; he couldn't even beat Tezuka. "You against me?"

"No. You and I," the captain shifted his gaze towards the courts, "versus Tezuka and Sanada."

A small smile formed on the tensai's face as he called over his boyfriend. Yukimura had asked Sanada to come over as well.

"Still call him by his family name?"

"Force of habit."

Tezuka asked as he approached the two players, "What's going on?"

"You and Sanada are playing against Yukimura and I. We'll tell Momo and Ryoma to play with Yanagi and Kirihara for the time being."

Sanada and Tezuka studied eachother for a moment. The two stoic boys were going to play against the two sadistic ones? He narrowly beat Fuji last time, but that was a while ago. Now, his boyfriend now had six counters and who knows what's going to happen if Fuji awakened again. Tezuka almost didn't want to play.

"Oh and by the way," Fuji glanced over his shoulder and announced, "whoever loses drinks Inui's Aozu."

The Seigaku regulars froze and slowly looked over at Inui, who had a clear waterbottle of the blue drink everyone, even Fuji, passed out on.

"Inui! Why do you have that with you?" Eiji cried out in fear, remembering the taste and the aftereffects all too well.

"I decided to be extra prepared, that's all. So Tezuka, how about it? If the two of you beat Yukimura and Fuji, you won't have to drink this." Inui shook the bottle a bit, some of the liquid began to bubble.

"What is that?" Sanada whispered.

Tezuka's eyes observed every reaction his teammate gave him; the drink certainly wasn't good news. "Sanada, we can't lose."

Unfortunately for Sanada and Tezuka, Yukimura and Fuji were on top of their game. Fuji even played seriously for the last half, winning the match. Before even getting a chance to redeem their composure, Inui already greeted them with two shot glasses of Aozu.

Tezuka held out his glass, determined to drink the concoction and staying conscious afterwards. "Cheers, Sanada."

After hours of playing, Taka carried Tezuka to his parents' car while Yanagi carried Sanada to his parents' vehicle. Rikkaidai's players were stunned to see their ever-emotionless vice-captain passing out on a shot glass of whatever weird drink Inui had. Sure Sanada can be tough and strict, atleast they didn't have to suffer the consequences of Inui.

Fuji and Yukimura knew their boyfriends wouldn't get mad at them when they woke up; they were too irresistible.


	17. Conclusion

It had been over a month since their capture. Most of the players recovered fully while Fuji and sometimes even Yukimura suffered a bit of trauma. But Tezuka and Sanada were always there to help them.

Saturday practice ended and Sanada trained himself to the bone after losing to Yukimura and Fuji. Even if it was just recreational tennis, he hated losing. The two smaller boys played all out and Sanada and Tezuka just underestimated them.

They headed towards Yukimura's house, since the captain's parents were away for the weekend, he asked Sanada if he wanted to stay over. How can one say no to Yukimura?

In the empty household, Yukimura prepared fried rice with vegetables and soy sauce. Sanada didn't know his lovely Seiichi knew how to cook, much less work around the kitchen without blowing something up. He wrapped his arms around the captain's waist as Yukimura steamed some vegetables.

"Do you need anything?'

Sanada's hug tightened. "Just you."

He heard Yukimura's soft giggle and buried his nose in the sweet smelling blue hair. "Who knew you can act like this, Sanada."

Then it crossed to him. He did need something or more like want something. "Actually, I do want something from you."

Yukimura looked up at him. "What is it?"

Sanada met the beautiful blue eyes of Yukimura. "Call me by my first name."

"What? That's it?"

"You still call me by my family name, Seiichi. It's not fair." A small smile formed on Sanada's face.

Yukimura turned around so they stood face to face. He placed his arms around Sanada's neck, pressing his body closer to the taller boy. "I love you, Genichirou."

The small smile on Sanada's face widened after hearing his beloved captain call him by his given name. "I love you, too, Seiichi." He gently placed a hand on Yukimura's cheek, the other holding his chin. Softly, Sanada touched his lips with his own.

But Yukimura didn't want slow and innocent. He pulled Sanada even closer, deepening the kiss, making the stoic boy moan. A smirk formed on his face as Sanada wrapped his strong arms tighter around his waist.

Yukimura moaned loudly as Sanada trailed kisses down his neck to his collarbone. He had to force himself to say, "Genichirou, not here," when he felt his tie loosen.

Sanada pulled back and kissed him one more time. "Fine. But tonight, you're mine."

The two ate their dinner in contented silence. Once they finished, Sanada washed the dishes, telling Yukimura, "You cook, I clean."

"Like a married couple." The blue-haired boy whispered amusingly.

Afterwards, he searched for a pair of pajamas for his boyfriend to wear. After Yukimura, Sanada showered. Rikkai's captain flopped down on his bed in exhaustion. That day's training was harder than expected. The team had lost some weight because of the ordeal along with muscle mass. So they trained longer and harder. He didn't even hear Sanada come in and lay beside him. Even though the vice-captain wanted Yukimura that night, he noticed the smaller boy's fatigue and decided to let it pass just for once.

He embraced Yukimura lovingly, pressing kisses on the back of his head. Yukimura gently caressed his arm, nearly falling asleep.

"Sweet dreams, Seiichi." He heard Sanada whisper. "I love you."

Yukimura turned to face Sanada. He moved his up to kiss the other boy. "I love you, too." He let his body succumb to the weariness and drifted off to sleep.

* * *

Tezuka hadn't seen or talked to Fuji in nearly four days. He was to leave for Germany in two weeks and wanted to spend as much time as he could with his other half, but could never seem to find him. He hadn't attended tennis practice either. And when Tezuka tried to contact the blue-eyed boy, nothing. Finally, Tezuka figured enough was enough.

He visited Fuji's house after practice, Yumiko telling him Fuji was in his bedroom. When he received no answer after knocking, Tezuka let himself in. And there, sitting on the bed, was his angel, laying out pictures on front of him. He didn't even react as Tezuka stepped inside.

Those bright blue eyes the Seigaku captain came to love only showed signs of sadness. "Syusuke?" The boy didn't respond. "Why have you been ignoring me for the past few days?"

Tezuka's patience grew thinner as time moved forward. He sighed and walked over to Fuji's bed, realizing the pictures were photographs of the two of them. He studied Fuji's distressed face and watched as a tear slipped down his cheek.

"Syusuke?"

Fuji glanced up to meet Tezuka's eyes. Seeing those saddened blue eyes made Tezuka just want to hug and comfort his angel.

"I've just been trying to figure out what I'm going to do without you, Kunimitsu. It's getting harder every single day."

Tezuka sighed and sat next to Fuji, holding the tear stained face in his hands. He softly kissed Fuji, feeling his tears fall from his eyes to his cheek.

"Come to Germany with me." Fuji's eyes widened at those words.

"What?"

"Come to Germany with me." Tezuka repeated, wiping away the tears on his angel's face. "I don't know how I'll survive without you, either. That way, we'll always be together."

Fuji tried to think of something that would oppose the idea, but oddly enough, he couldn't think of anything. The only downside to going with Tezuka halfway across the world was being away from his family. But he knew he would be leaving Tokyo once he graduated high school. He guessed that moving away just happened sooner than what he originally planned.

"I'll… I'll talk to family about it."

He scooted over to make some room for his boyfriend. Tezuka lay his head on Fuji's chest, half his body resting on Fuji while his legs hung over the bed. They looked through the pictures of the two of them, Tezuka not knowing any of them were even taken.

He really did love Fuji. And if his mother and sister opposed the idea of their son going to Europe with his boyfriend, Tezuka would find some other way to make their relationship work. He gently played with Fuji's delicate hands and kissed each fingertip lovingly. Tezuka was not his usual self when with his angel, and Fuji was glad only he could bring out that romantic side.

For all it's worth, he really did love Tezuka Kunimitsu.

* * *

Years past and Tezuka was now a professional tennis player, Fuji working as a photographer for the company that sponsored the former Seigaku captain. They lived in Germany in a rather luxurious home; family and friends visiting often.

Fuji remained good friends with Yukimura even if the two were countries apart from eachtoher. Fuji often sent postcards back to Japan, telling Yukimura all the things that have happened while Rikkaidai's former captain sent letters and pictures of his life as well. He and Sanada became some of Japan's formidable players. Many sports critics compared the two of them to Germany's Tezuka Kunimitsu and America's Echizen Ryoma.

The two lived in Yukimura's family home, enjoying their prime and slowly forgetting the events that haunted them in their younger years.

Whether they liked it or not, the past catches up to them. And sometimes, they needed to take a break to reflect on what happened and just reminiscent about the terrifying events that motivated them to live life to the fullest.

Perhaps the kidnapping was curse, as well as a gift, because now, it doesn't take a whole lot to make the seventeen players feel alive.

* * *

 _Oh my gosh you guys! It's finished! How'd you like it? I'm so grateful for all of you who reviewed and told me it was good and you enjoyed it because you guys are my motivation :) So thank you so much for all your support! I honestly wasn't going to post this at first, but I figured, what do I have to lose? Again, I can not thank you guys enough for your encouragement and kind words! so until my next story, Love you forever, AIR_


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